West Virginia safety Burks hoping to make most of his 'contract year'
When senior safety Aubrey Burks met with his head coach Neal Brown at the end of last season the two reached the same conclusion.
For Burks, it’s a contract year.
No, not in the realm of name, image and likeness in the college landscape but in regard to his future in the game of football beyond his final season of eligibility.
“I graduate in December, football here is over for me in December. From here to now I got all the way until December to stay focused and do everything I have to do,” he said.
While some players keep an open eye toward opportunities heading into their final season, Burks wanted to remain with the only program that he has known. His familiarity with both the coaching staff and the system helped to seal that decision on top of the opportunities for Burks.
“There is no reason for me to leave to chase after some money when I’m playing here, I’m on the field. I have one year left of football and one more year to graduate,” he said.
Last season was a challenging one for Burks mentally as he dealt with a scary injury against TCU on a punt return where he was carted off the field and then hospitalized. Burks was released a few days later and less than 20 days after that collision he was cleared to resume practicing.
Burks would only miss one game finishing the season with 48 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pair of interceptions including one in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. But the Florida native is hoping that he is saving his best for his final year as he is currently cross-training at the spear spot to add even more versatility.
“If you don’t handle your business it’s all over. … How about you take the next step after December go train and then you can get a real contract,” Burks said.
Burks is set to remain an integral piece of the West Virginia defense and is focused on doing his job both on the field and off the field in order to accomplish his goals. Yes, NIL is an attractive piece for any college athlete in today’s era, but Burks is able to keep himself and others grounded.
“NIL is just going to come, and I tell everybody this if you want NIL you have to go produce on the field,” Burks said.
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