Morris County Native Invited to NFL Scouting Combine

The doldrums of winter weather can’t stop the brightness Michael Burton is seeing.

The Long Valley native and West Morris Central High School alum, who finished his final season as a Rutgers Scarlet Knight with a victory in the Quick Lane Bowl and a showcase in the Medal of Honor Bowl has been invited to join the National Football League’s scouting combine, according to nj.com.

How big of a deal is that?

It’s huge. The combine is a six-day event, from Feb. 17 to 23 in Indianapolis, Indiana, where scouts from all 32 NFL teams come to see how draft-eligible players stack up against the competition. The combine is one of the largest factors in a player’s draft potential and subsequent ranking.

According to nflcombine.net, Burton will be on the field for drills with the running back group on Saturday, Feb. 21.

While the full list of invitees has not yet been released, nj.com reported, Burton’s invitation is remarkable considering the number of fullbacks who are take part in the combine annually.

Just three fullbacks were drafted by NFL teams in each of the last three seasons, with five being drafted in 2011. Not a single one of those players was drafted higher than the fourth round, according to espn.com.

Only one fullback was invited to the combine in 2014 – Oklahoma’s Trey Millard, who was drafted in the seventh round by San Francisco, according to espn.com.

The NFL Draft is a three-day event that will begin April 30 and end May 2 and will be held in Chicago.

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