Big time player, big time plays

Finally healthy, Derrick Burgess is anchoring a revived defense

PETER ROSS
DM Senior Staff Writer

The Ole Miss defense entered Saturday's game against Kentucky's offense looking for a spark to contain one of the nation's best offenses. They got just that when senior defensive end Derrick Burgess stepped up and set the tempo by sacking quarterback Jared Lorenzen on the first two plays of the game.

"Derrick is a leader. He has always been a leader since his freshman year when he was 242 pounds. Now he is 270 pounds and is 3 years older.

"Everyone on defense definitely looks up to him," defensive coordinator Art Kaufman said. "He got everything going for us on defense by getting those two sacks to open the game."

Burgess was a thorn in the side of Kentucky's offense the whole night as he led the Rebels in tackles with seven. He recorded 2.5 sacks, a pass deflection, and the first interception of his career.

"Derrick is an All-SEC player, no question," Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe said. "And if he keeps playing like he did tonight, he's an All-American."

For the season Burgess is second on the team in tackles with 26 and leads the team with 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Kaufman believes that the senior team captain has played as well as anyone in the SEC.

"So far he is right up there as one of the best in the SEC if not the nation," Kaufman said. "He comes ready to play every down."

When Burgess first arrived in Oxford, he was an undersized defensive tackle but size did not stop Burgess. He recorded 49 tackles and was named to The Sporting News Freshman All- American team.

But while he was playing a pick up game of basketball his freshman year, he injured his knee, and it has taken him three seasons to finally recover.

"I thought Derrick played as well Saturday as I've seen any player play individually on the defensive line. He's just gotten better and better,"Cutcliffe said.

"When we came here, he was not a healthy football player. We met with Tim Mullins, and we put a plan together to get Derrick well."

"Derrick and I spent a lot of time together talking about his past and a lot of things that have gone on with him. We refocused everything he was doing toward getting well athletically, academically and challenging himself to be as good as he can be. He has done that as well as any player I've been around. What he has accomplished as a player and a person is very evident to everyone that knows Derrick."

If Burgess continues to his leadership on defense, then future opponents will have a tough time with the Rebel defense.