2008 Football Roster
Roster
Charles Burns
- Position:
- DL
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 265
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Hattiesburg, MS
- High School/Previous School:
- Hattiesburg HS
- Career & Game-By-Game Statistics
CAREER:
Pressed into immediate service at Mississippi State on the defensive line from the beginning of his collegiate career . . . Has played in 34 games of his career at a defensive end position, starting six times . . . Has made 18 tackles in mostly reserve work, registering two and one-half tackles for loss (minus 14 yards), one and one-half of which were quarterback sacks (minus 11 yards) . . . Also credited with two pass deflections at the line of scrimmage . . . Came to State following a solid high school career in which he earned plaudits for his work at linebacker.
2008:
Played in all 12 games, earning four starting assignments at defensive end . . . Earned four-straight starts at mid-season (Weeks 4-7) . . . Made 13 total tackles on the year, including two and one-half for loss (minus 14 yards), one and one-half of which were quarterback sacks (minus 11 yards) . . . Deflected two passes at the line of scrimmage . . . Limited to four plays in the season opener at Louisiana Tech after battling injury throughout pre-season . . . After not making a hit in the season’s first two weeks, he rebounded to record 11 in the next five weeks (2.2 per game) . . . Credited with three tackles and a pass deflection at the line of scrimmage in Mississippi State’s SEC opener vs. Auburn . . . Recorded two tackles a week later at Georgia Tech . . . Made one tackle and had one pass deflection at LSU in Week 5 . . . Credited with one tackle, a quarterback sack (minus 5 yards) in State’s mid-season win over Vanderbilt . . . Combined with Brandon Cooper on a 10-yard sack mid-way through the second quarter in the victory over the Commodores . . . Registered four tackles, including a half tackle for loss, at Tennessee in Week 7 . . . Had a 6-yard quarterback sack at Alabama in Week 10 . . . Credited with one tackle, a half-tackle for loss (minus 3 yards) in the Bulldogs’ win over Arkansas.
2007:
Missed the entire ’07 season after undergoing surgery on both shoulders during August two-a-days . . . Will be granted a medical redshirt to retrieve his junior season.
2006:
Opened his sophomore season as the top reserve at defensive end . . . Played in 11 games during his sophomore season, earning one starting call . . . Saw action in all but the Jacksonville State game at midseason due to injury, starting the Week 3 contest vs. Tulane . . . Made three tackles on the season . . . Earned the first start of his sophomore campaign in Week 3 against Tulane . . . Missed his first career game during the Bulldogs’ Week 7 win over Jacksonville State, nursing a shoulder injury.
2005:
Outstanding August practice session catapulted him into the rotation of defensive ends during his true freshman campaign . . . Impressed the coaching staff with his quickness and work ethic . . . Played in all 11 games during his true freshman season, working both on special teams and as a valuable reserve at defensive end . . . Earned his first collegiate start in the season’s final game . . . Registered two tackles on the year . . . Made his first collegiate tackle in Week 3 work against Tulane in Shreveport.
HIGH SCHOOL:
Rated the No. 41 inside linebacker in the country by the Rivals.com recruiting web site . . . Credited with a 315-pound bench press max by Rivals . . . That site rated him as the No. 16 prospect in the state of Mississippi, the list’s second-best linebacker . . . Superprep rated him No. 12 among the top prospects in the state in its pre-signing day all-America issue . . . Rated No. 15 on the Scout.com postseason list of the state’s top 30 players . . . Had a standout spring 2004 NIKE camp at Baton Rouge . . . Finished among the top five players among all defensive ends in all four measured categories (40-yard dash, shuttle run, bench press and vertical leap) at the camp . . . His 21 repetitions of 185 pounds on the bench was the best among all ends . . . Played defensive end for head coach Buddy Duke at Hattiesburg (Miss.) High School until his senior season when he moved to inside linebacker . . . Selected to play in the Bernard Blackwell all-star classic following his senior season . . . Started for four years at HHS . . . Overcame an injury-plagued beginning to his high school career to have a standout senior season . . . Suffered torn medial collateral and posterior collateral ligament injuries during his sophomore season and underwent hernia surgery during his junior campaign . . . Registered six sacks during that injury-marred junior year in which he played just four games . . . Had 11 sacks as a sophomore . . . Also an outstanding shot putter on the HHS track team . . . Carried a 3.2 grade point average in the classroom . . . Other top scholarship offers: West Virginia, Notre Dame and Ole Miss . . . Committed to MSU in December 2004.
PERSONAL:
Born Charles Jerome Burns, 5-8-86, in Hattiesburg, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Smith . . . Majoring is undeclared.
