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PACKERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH HENRY BURRIS, STANDOUT CFL QUARTERBACK
posted 02/23/01
 | | Henry Burris |
The Green Bay Packers have agreed to contractual terms with quarterback Henry Burris of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Canadian Football League's leading passer last season, Andrew Brandt, the team's director of player finance, announced late Friday.
The 25-year-old Burris had attracted interest from 17 National Football League teams following the 2000 season, when he completed 308 of 576 passes for 4,647 yards and 30 touchdowns, with 25 interceptions. He also ran 68 times for 188 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Burris, a 6-1, 190-pound Temple University alumnus, came into his own upon joining the Roughriders last season, his fourth in the CFL. He had launched his professional career with the Calgary Stampeders in 1997, spending most of his first year on the team's practice squad, then completing 41 of 71 passing attempts for 612 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 5 interceptions, over the 1998 and 1999 seasons, starting two games along the way. Over his entire CFL career, he completed 349 of 647 passes (53.9%) for 5,259 yards and 34 TDs and 30 INTs.
The Packers' newest quarterback, speaking after his decision to don the Green and Gold, pronounced himself "very excited to be a member of the Green Bay Packers football organization.
"After four years of playing in the Canadian Football League, my dream of playing in the NFL is finally about to come true," he continued. "After working out for 14 NFL teams, I spent a significant period of time with my agent, Cliff Stein, analyzing and reviewing each team's situation. The level of interest and treatment that I received from NFL teams was both overwhelming and flattering. I was especially honored that the Green Bay Packers were one of the teams that showed interest in me. When I compared each of the situations that were presented to me, I took a long and careful look at the history of the Green Bay Packers and NFL quarterbacks.
"Over the past 10 years, the Green Bay Packers have developed more quarterbacks in the NFL than any other team," Burris added. "Brett Favre, Mark Brunell, Ty Detmer, Doug Pederson, Kurt Warner, Aaron Brooks and Matt Hasselbeck. These are all great quarterbacks. The Packers also have a great football tradition. As a young quarterback, I could not ask for a better opportunity -- to play in the West Coast system and learn from a veteran quarterback like Brett Favre and coaches Mike Sherman and Tom Rossley. I look forward to arriving in Green Bay as soon as possible and beginning their offseason program. When I was in Regina, Saskatchewan, I had the privilege of getting to know some great fans and great people in the community. I now look forward to meeting all the great fans in Green Bay."
Regularly scrutinized by NFL scouts during the 2000 season, Burris started the first 16 games of the season for Saskatchewan before straining his right (throwing) shoulder and sitting out the Roughriders' last two contests.
Since the CFL season ended, Burris had worked out for 14 NFL teams, including the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and the Packers, with three other clubs also having shown interest according to his agent.
The interest of NFL scouts was piqued by the Spiro, Okla., native's "eye-catching" arm strength as well as his mobility.
A prolific passer as a collegian, Burris set single-game, single-season and career passing records at Temple with marks of 445, 2,716 and 7,495 yards, respectively. He also owned the school's record for career 200-yard passing games with 15.
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