Going into their final season of high school football, seniors were ready to “Protect the Standard” and were preparing for success. Senior Jason Burroughs, a varsity captain, was ready to lead his team to victory. What he didn’t know is that in the third game against BV Northwest he would have an injury impacting the rest of his season.
“I went for a tackle in the third quarter,” he said. “When I went for [it], two dudes landed on my foot and completely dislocated and broke my fibula.”
Getting back to walking after six weeks, Burroughs was told he could get back to playing sports after May and was unable to play the rest of the season. Although this may lead some injured athletes to be discouraged, Burroughs’ love for the sport and the support from his football family kept him going and was not going to prevent him from getting back on the field.
“I was disappointed because I was still waiting on some more offers,” he said. “I was definitely more motivated after the injury, but I was disappointed because I didn’t get to play with my teammates anymore. I’ve always been motivated to play college football. Even when I got hurt, I still knew I wanted to play.”
After months of patience, a big offer came his way and Burroughs made his commitment to the University of Central Missouri and what his next four years will bring him.
“It was a long process because I had to wait,” he said. “I had offers before my junior season and before my senior season, but they weren’t the ones I wanted. It wasn’t until February where I got the offer I wanted. I was worried for a while, but it paid off. I was getting slept on because of my injury. When [UCM] took a chance on me, I knew it was going to pay off. They lost to the D-II National Champions by one point last year and they’re ranked number three this year. They are a really good Division-II school, and I’m excited to play.”
Despite the sentimental farewell to playing a high school sport, Burroughs reflected on what experiences he gained from his seasons and overcoming his injury.
“I learned to not take anything for granted,” Burroughs said. “You never know when it could be your last time, especially as a senior. So enjoy the workouts in the off-season and the talks with coaches and teammates. Enjoy doing everything.”
