21 Mar

BURTON SAVORS JOURNEY THAT LED TO BIG CONTRACT

MINNEAPOLIS – Near the end of the conversation, former Gators standout Trey Burton turned into the inquisitor.

Burton’s life has spun nonstop on a merry-go-round for the past two months. Still, in between breaths talking about the wave he is riding, the personable Burton asked the caller what he’s been doing.

Following some brief chatter about the UF men’s basketball team’s exit from the NCAA Tournament and Dan Mullen‘s return to Florida – Burton said Mullen helped convince him to commit to the Gators while a sophomore in high school – a trip here to cover the Gators and senior swimmer Caeleb Dressel’s final NCAA Championships surfaced.

Burton seized the moment.

“Minneapolis is a great city,” he said. “I love it. You can keep the cold but I love that place, I can tell you that right now.”

For those with short-term memory loss, U.S. Bank Stadium, site of Super Bowl 52, is in Minneapolis, a short 2.2-mile drive across the Mississippi River to the University of Minnesota’s Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, site of this week’s NCAA men’s swimming championships.

Burton seized the moment Feb. 4, too.

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Trey Burton at UF

On a trick play late in the first half, he threw 1-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles, a toss now forever known as the “Philly Special” after the Eagles defeated New England to deliver the City of Brotherly Love a Super Bowl title.

Burton and agent Hadley Engelhard, a 1988 UF graduate, definitely seized an opportunity of a lifetime for Burton during the NFL free-agent period. Burton signed a four-year, $32 million contract with the Chicago Bears last week. The contract included $22 million guaranteed and makes Burton among to highest-paid tight ends in the league.

He was in Chicago on Friday for an introductory press conference and back home in Tampa with his wife and three kids on Monday. He hopes to finally have a chance to take a break after a whirlwind seven weeks in which his life has changed drastically.

An undrafted free agent coming out of Florida in 2013, Burton parlayed four solid seasons in Philadelphia as a jack-of-all-trades weapon – tight end, fullback, special-teams performer, long snapper, receiver, trick-play passer – into what Engelhard termed a “blockbuster” deal this offseason.

“I knew there was serious interest in Trey,” said Engelhard, who said he met with 16 teams at the NFL combine last month to gauge interest. “The teams broke down to three levels of interest. We kind of knew there were about seven teams that had a high interest once we were allowed to talk numbers and really go through this process.”

Once the numbers got crunched and the dollar signs settled, Burton was a Bear.

The 26-year-old Burton, after playing behind tight ends Zach Erst and Brent Celek in Philadelphia, assumes a more prominent role in Chicago. Still, it was a difficult decision to leave Philadelphia. Burton was well-liked by fans and his teammates. Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz posted on Instagram a sincere congratulatory message to Burton and his family in the wake of his departure.

But in the end the Bears showed how much they wanted Burton, as did quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who played a role in selling Burton on the move.

“There are three or four guys there who are my best friends, guys who I love to hang out with on and off the field. There’s just so many great relationships It was kind of bittersweet when things hit, but we were kind of prepared for it,” Burton said. “I knew I wanted to go to a football city. I know 95 percent of the [Chicago] offense already. The whole vibe, the energy and how excited they are with a young team. They are amped up. I have no choice to be excited to be playing ball there.”

First-year Bears head coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator in Kansas City last year, runs an offense loaded with misdirection option concepts similar to what the Eagles used last season. The opportunity to play a larger role on offense intrigued Burton.

Burton’s NFL career has played out similar to his college career on the field. Recruited to Florida by Mullen and former Gators head coach Urban Meyer, Burton played one season for Meyer. In Will Muschamp’s offense, Burton was a valuable weapon but never had a permanent role.

The same happened in Philadelphia, where Burton served as the consummate role player.

“I tell everybody that I don’t think I would appreciate where I am today if I wouldn’t have taken that route,” Burton said. “Basically, nothing was given. I had to fight for everything.”

Engelhard hand-picked Burton as a potential client and pitched him on doing business the right way and their UF connections. Engelhard has represented other Gators, including defensive back Reggie Nelson and running back Matt Jones.

In their first meeting, Engelhard told Burton he likely would not get drafted but that he saw a player who had a future in the NFL because of his versatility.

“He kind of looked at me and said, ‘what do you mean?’ ” Engelhard said. “You don’t have a true position right now, but all the things you do very well like a Swiss Army Knife, you are going to play in the NFL. What you do with your opportunities once you there will dictate your career. The rest speaks for itself.”

Engelhard said for him the chance to represent Burton was like signing a one-star recruit with five-star potential.

“He is just that type of guy,” Engelhard said. “Every time he is given a chance to play, he not only does well, he excels. Teams saw that. I took such thrill out of being a former Gator helping a former Gator and being part of this whole process. We have a special bond. He’s a mensch. He is the kind of guy you’d like your daughter to marry. He is just first class across the board.”

Four years later, Burton has proven his worth and more. Florida fans knew about him long ago. He introduced himself to the rest of the world with that Super Bowl touchdown pass.

Next up, Chicago. But first, Burton is ready for some time to reflect on his recent journey.

“It’s been a crazy couple of months,” he said. “Winning the Super Bowl and hitting free agency at a really good time. It’s just been wild.”