FSU Alums: Brian Burns making solid case to be Rookie of The Year

Brian Burns was recently named the top rookie on defense in the first month of the NFL season – and FSU fans know that he is capable of doing even more.

For those of us who have been cheering on the FSU football team during our lives, the following thing I am about to write is not going to sound like a shock at all, but it seems like some people in the world of the NFL are discovering this fact: defensive end Brian Burns is a pretty good football player.

The first round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers has been the star of the first quarter of the 2019 season across the league, entering this weekend with 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks so far that includes at least half a sack in the last three games.

It has set up another important questioner those both inside the Seminoles family and those who may just be noticing Brian Burns for the first time: can Burns, who this past month was named the league’s Rookie of The Month for defense, be the Defensive Rookie of the Year?

While the NFL recognizes just one Rookie of The Year based on a fan vote and does not break it up into offense and defense, other outlets like the Associated Press do – it’s something that, in the previous 52 seasons, just three former Seminoles have been able to win by the AP (Warrick Dunn, Anquan Bolden and Peter Boulware being the previous Noles to win).

Burns is on pace already to have double digit sacks – something he did with the Noles – and could end up being what keeps the Panthers above water this season if quarterback Cam Newton isn’t going to be returning for a while (and as someone who has Newton on his fantasy team, we hope that doesn’t come true).

Brian Burns has also shown his versatility by being a force to be reckoned with both on defense and on special teams – coming up with two punt deflections already this season.

There is still plenty of season left to be played for Brian Burns and Carolina – but if the next three quarters play out as well as the first one did, we could be looking at the fourth former Nole to get honored as the top rookie in pro football.