Burns on film
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If you're fixated on head size, there's another forum for you. I'm talking about Burns speed and deep coverage. Care to comment on the films?
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I already did, don't you remember? you see one thing, I see another. I didn't see any prove of lack of IQ on the film or lack of vertical speed. He might be a bit stiff in COD but with a decent zone system and his length he can make up for that
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Then you are not looking at both sides of the coin. Burns is clearly raw.
He doesn't understand a receiver route tree, often has his back to the football on deeper passes and seems a bit lost in the zone.
I also think he's suspect to defense slants and posts...routes which require him to turn while running without losing his speed. He looses too much real estate on these routes.
I fail to see " catch up speed " when he's beaten, which is why I wonder how fast he is.
Essentially he has one solid year of production and was rotated during that year.
But don't take my word for it. Google some of his scouting reports. They will tell you he's raw. Some say lacks Football IQ. As for head size, I don't care, but if he's got a low Wonderlic it means he's going to have some issues learning.
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Of course he's raw, if he weren't he'd have been a top 15 player. The thing is that I see the tools and the football iq for him to become a #1 starter for us in a couple of years but of course he has a long road ahead to achieve that goal
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I'm doing my Steeler Draft write-up and here is my close to final comments about the Artie Burns draft selection:
Draft Day Analysis:
The Steelers opened their 2016 with the selection of Artie Burns, cornerback from Miami. And as usual, they submitted their pick to the podium so quickly most of Steeler Nation hadn’t even settled down from Cincinnati “stealing” the pick everyone wanted (and possibly who the Steelers wanted) in William Jackson III at pick #24.
The entire five minute that transpired from “Is Jackson going to be available!?” to “Dammit Cincinnati! You just drafted a 1st round corner last year!” to “Here we are running to the podium again. I bet for a CB too!” to “Yep…. Artie Burns…****!” just deflated any excitement I and many others had for our 2016 draft. And this is in no way a huge criticism of the very young and very raw Artie Burns.
I can’t sugarcoat the pick and lie and tell you I think Artie Burns is a first round talent. While I don’t disagree he was in the mix for the next cornerback off the board, I identified a fairly sizeable drop off between the tier-1 cornerback prospects (Ramsey, Hargreaves, Jackson III and Eli Apple) and a larger group of tier-2 secondary players with more warts and question marks that I believe Burns is a part of.
I wasn’t alone in this assessment either. While Artie Burns was early in the process part of Mike Mayock’s positional top 5 (peaking at #4) as the draft approached Jackson rose from unranked to 4th to 3rd CB on his board (and #16 overall) while Burns fell from #4 to #5 to unranked (and #47 overall). NFL Draft Scout (who does CBS Sports rankings) likewise had Burns fall during the last month of draft evaluation into a 2nd-3rd round prospect, #66 overall and Jackson rising to #19 overall. Others like Sports Illustrated (Burns ranked 71st vs. Jackson ranked 18th) and SCOUT, INC (Burns 31st vs. Jackson 22nd) and Mel Kiper (Burns 30th vs. Jackson 25th) show general consistency in this evaluation.
Obviously there is some debate in general with Burns as a prospect and part of that is his age and inexperience. As one of the youngest players in this year’s draft (age 20 on draft day) you are bound to see wide variety of good and bad performances on tape and the evaluation process has to take into account potential as much as results in this case. Burns has all the qualities you look for in a pro-level CB. Good height, speed (he was a track athlete at Miami as well), exceptional length and an affinity to find the football (6 INT’s in his last season). In addition, I saw a lot of traits that he could play both man and zone systems well and is not restricted to one style of play.
You are also getting a resilient person who has seen a lot growing up. With a father in prison and recently losing his mother to a heart attack, Burns is now guardian of his two younger brothers and is the father to a 19-month old. While not from the same side of the tracks as me, I don’t suspect maturity and work ethic will be problems for Burns in the NFL. He has a lot riding on his success and 2nd contract payout.
In many ways Burns is the prototypical Tomlin draft selection. A little rough around the edges, very young and raw with the work ethic to be molded into the type of player the team wants. I suspect greatly that now that Burns dedicates his training to an NFL-specific regiment (and not the 60M hurdles) you will see some drastic improvements in his football speed and movement skills (which are already pretty good to start with).
And Burns will have to improve things before contributing at the next level consistently. His technique at this point is below par and he has troubling tendencies to clutch/grab/interfere with technical receivers or skate by with athleticism vs. poor receivers/QB’s (which most of his college production came against). While I do not consider these facts indicate a boom/bust prospect, I do think we could see undisciplined and inconsistent play from Burns for most of his rookie contract.
The debate and critique of this pick is not about Artie Burns. It was a reach based almost entirely on roster requirements and that can hardly be disputed. Both Tomlin and Colbert need to bear the responsibility of past failures in the secondary to require such desperately needed action at a positional grouping. I hate drafting that way and have been “mocking” secondary help in drafts above the Steelers since 2011 always looking 2+ years down the line at a growing problem. The Steelers did not and thus a “reach” on talent becomes necessary.
In my opinion, the clearly correct choice based on value was to trade back in this draft. The #25 pick was too high for almost everyone on an imaginary Steelers’ Big Board with a steep drop off in cornerback rankings, an abundance of defensive lineman still on the board, and a few other potential targets available that would fit our roster. And unlike many other years, we know for a FACT a trade opportunity presented itself from Denver looking to move up and draft QB Paxon Lynch (they traded up at #26 and both Elway and Colbert confirmed talks existed about a trade). That trade involved pick #32 and pick #94 which the Steelers rejected and I would have taken. I still think there might have been the potential for Burns to still be on the board at pick #32 but that we will never know.
Instead, I would have selected Hunter Henry, TE from Arkansas who I think is a splitting image of Heath Miller. I think this offense is going to miss Miller more than many think and while I like the signing of Ledarius Green as a replacement, he is not quite the “complete” TE we use so heavily in our offensive scheme. I am sure a TE-by-committee approach is where this team is headed this year but I would have liked to get a young talent like Henry into the mix and groom in to a potential 10-year pro like Miller.
Other options included a slew of defensive tackles (Vernon Butler, Chris Jones, Austin Johnson or A’Shawn Robinson), edge defenders (Emmanuel Ogbah, Noah Spence), offensive line depth (Jason Spriggs or Cody Whitehair), and even a case for possibly the injured linebacker Myles Jack who has arguably the most talent of any player on the board and could be a future all-pro at Timmons spot (whose contract expires after this season).
In summary Burns was clearly taken because of position and not talent level in my opinion. Not at the #25 overall selection and that is dangerous precedent looking at the future. Like Sequez Golson a year ago, Tomlin forced the future of the position onto these young men’s backs base on a possible optimistic evaluation of both talents. We will see if they can live up to the potential the Steelers see in them.
Draft Day Analysis:
The Steelers opened their 2016 with the selection of Artie Burns, cornerback from Miami. And as usual, they submitted their pick to the podium so quickly most of Steeler Nation hadn’t even settled down from Cincinnati “stealing” the pick everyone wanted (and possibly who the Steelers wanted) in William Jackson III at pick #24.
The entire five minute that transpired from “Is Jackson going to be available!?” to “Dammit Cincinnati! You just drafted a 1st round corner last year!” to “Here we are running to the podium again. I bet for a CB too!” to “Yep…. Artie Burns…****!” just deflated any excitement I and many others had for our 2016 draft. And this is in no way a huge criticism of the very young and very raw Artie Burns.
I can’t sugarcoat the pick and lie and tell you I think Artie Burns is a first round talent. While I don’t disagree he was in the mix for the next cornerback off the board, I identified a fairly sizeable drop off between the tier-1 cornerback prospects (Ramsey, Hargreaves, Jackson III and Eli Apple) and a larger group of tier-2 secondary players with more warts and question marks that I believe Burns is a part of.
I wasn’t alone in this assessment either. While Artie Burns was early in the process part of Mike Mayock’s positional top 5 (peaking at #4) as the draft approached Jackson rose from unranked to 4th to 3rd CB on his board (and #16 overall) while Burns fell from #4 to #5 to unranked (and #47 overall). NFL Draft Scout (who does CBS Sports rankings) likewise had Burns fall during the last month of draft evaluation into a 2nd-3rd round prospect, #66 overall and Jackson rising to #19 overall. Others like Sports Illustrated (Burns ranked 71st vs. Jackson ranked 18th) and SCOUT, INC (Burns 31st vs. Jackson 22nd) and Mel Kiper (Burns 30th vs. Jackson 25th) show general consistency in this evaluation.
Obviously there is some debate in general with Burns as a prospect and part of that is his age and inexperience. As one of the youngest players in this year’s draft (age 20 on draft day) you are bound to see wide variety of good and bad performances on tape and the evaluation process has to take into account potential as much as results in this case. Burns has all the qualities you look for in a pro-level CB. Good height, speed (he was a track athlete at Miami as well), exceptional length and an affinity to find the football (6 INT’s in his last season). In addition, I saw a lot of traits that he could play both man and zone systems well and is not restricted to one style of play.
You are also getting a resilient person who has seen a lot growing up. With a father in prison and recently losing his mother to a heart attack, Burns is now guardian of his two younger brothers and is the father to a 19-month old. While not from the same side of the tracks as me, I don’t suspect maturity and work ethic will be problems for Burns in the NFL. He has a lot riding on his success and 2nd contract payout.
In many ways Burns is the prototypical Tomlin draft selection. A little rough around the edges, very young and raw with the work ethic to be molded into the type of player the team wants. I suspect greatly that now that Burns dedicates his training to an NFL-specific regiment (and not the 60M hurdles) you will see some drastic improvements in his football speed and movement skills (which are already pretty good to start with).
And Burns will have to improve things before contributing at the next level consistently. His technique at this point is below par and he has troubling tendencies to clutch/grab/interfere with technical receivers or skate by with athleticism vs. poor receivers/QB’s (which most of his college production came against). While I do not consider these facts indicate a boom/bust prospect, I do think we could see undisciplined and inconsistent play from Burns for most of his rookie contract.
The debate and critique of this pick is not about Artie Burns. It was a reach based almost entirely on roster requirements and that can hardly be disputed. Both Tomlin and Colbert need to bear the responsibility of past failures in the secondary to require such desperately needed action at a positional grouping. I hate drafting that way and have been “mocking” secondary help in drafts above the Steelers since 2011 always looking 2+ years down the line at a growing problem. The Steelers did not and thus a “reach” on talent becomes necessary.
In my opinion, the clearly correct choice based on value was to trade back in this draft. The #25 pick was too high for almost everyone on an imaginary Steelers’ Big Board with a steep drop off in cornerback rankings, an abundance of defensive lineman still on the board, and a few other potential targets available that would fit our roster. And unlike many other years, we know for a FACT a trade opportunity presented itself from Denver looking to move up and draft QB Paxon Lynch (they traded up at #26 and both Elway and Colbert confirmed talks existed about a trade). That trade involved pick #32 and pick #94 which the Steelers rejected and I would have taken. I still think there might have been the potential for Burns to still be on the board at pick #32 but that we will never know.
Instead, I would have selected Hunter Henry, TE from Arkansas who I think is a splitting image of Heath Miller. I think this offense is going to miss Miller more than many think and while I like the signing of Ledarius Green as a replacement, he is not quite the “complete” TE we use so heavily in our offensive scheme. I am sure a TE-by-committee approach is where this team is headed this year but I would have liked to get a young talent like Henry into the mix and groom in to a potential 10-year pro like Miller.
Other options included a slew of defensive tackles (Vernon Butler, Chris Jones, Austin Johnson or A’Shawn Robinson), edge defenders (Emmanuel Ogbah, Noah Spence), offensive line depth (Jason Spriggs or Cody Whitehair), and even a case for possibly the injured linebacker Myles Jack who has arguably the most talent of any player on the board and could be a future all-pro at Timmons spot (whose contract expires after this season).
In summary Burns was clearly taken because of position and not talent level in my opinion. Not at the #25 overall selection and that is dangerous precedent looking at the future. Like Sequez Golson a year ago, Tomlin forced the future of the position onto these young men’s backs base on a possible optimistic evaluation of both talents. We will see if they can live up to the potential the Steelers see in them.
P
POP
Guest
I think Scott was on his way to be deserving of a first round pick until he blew his knee out.
After that, he seemed to gain weight and never regain the speed he had as a rookie. He missed the entire 1998 season. Just using the "eye test" he seemed to heavy the 2nd half of his career.
I recall him being beat deep. That is when he started getting the nickname, "Charred Scott." I had forgotten he went to the Pats his last two seasons.
I really hope you are wrong. I hope Burns is better than Scott.
Also, keep in mind, after Revis blew his knee, he came back heavier and not nearly as good, but then seemed to regain form 2 years later.
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POP
Guest
Everyone keeps saying how he has all the physical skills to become a stud #1 CB, and - while his physical skills are not bad - they aren't freakish like some seem to believe.
In other words, the concern is more than just him being raw. He isn't hyper athletic either.
His 4.46 forty is good enough, but we aren't talking Rod Woodson speed here. His leaping ability is just average. His main positive traits are length and good hands.
As of now, they describe his technique as non-existent. Hope he develops. Coach him up, fellas.
Extreme adversity accelerates maturation of Steelers' Burns
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Artie Burns: Family of five (1:10)
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Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH -- Artie Burns has found a football fan club in an unusual location: the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, South Carolina.
Artie Burns Sr. has been telling fellow inmates about his son's football ascension, and he listened to the 2016 NFL draft on a prison-issued radio. A few days later, an 803 area code appeared on Burns' cell phone, a clear indication dad was approved for a call. Once he picked up, Burns heard all about the celebrations inside those walls when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Burns with the 25th overall pick.
Burns was an 11-year-old boy when he last saw his dad, who walked out of the living room in the fall of 2006 and said he'd "be right back." Between school and football, Burns hadn't found the right time to visit the prison. His father has 11 more years in prison for cocaine trafficking.
It made Burns become the man of the house at a young age, and that maturing process took another steep climb when his mother, Dana Smith, died of a heart attack this past October.
Yet Burns finds himself fueled by loss, almost emboldened by it. He covers wide receivers by day and two generations of family at night. He has taken younger brothers -- Thomas, now 16, and Jordan, 13 -- to track meets and football practices. He's scouting Pittsburgh-area schools for them. He's waiting to sign his rookie contract after which he plans to move girlfriend Ella, 1-year-old son A.J. and his brothers to Pennsylvania full-time.
All this must be carried out. Burns has made promises. Before his mother died, Burns said he would take care of everything, just as she had for so long.
"I'm the provider for my household," said Burns, a former Miami Hurricanes star who is now the Steelers' rookie cornerback.
Filling the gap
Artie Tyrone Burns Sr. and Dana Smith fell in love at Miami (Fla.) Northwestern High, got married and had three boys together. Every weekend in the fall, they would drive their oldest son to football games at the Southwest Boys and Girls Club. Burns played linebacker and running back for his dad, the head coach. Dana was the team mom. They'd stay at the field all afternoon, then cap off the day with a pizza trip.
Steelers' first-round pick Artie Burns (left), with his mother Dana Smith and brothers Jordan and Thomas, became a positive role model for his family after the incarceration of his father. Photo courtesy of the Burns family
Dad coached hard, reminding him to tackle like one of his favorites, Junior Seau. Artie loved to draw, and sometimes his crayons would find their way into dad's soft-cover football books on defensive principles.
With a stable home life and a quality outlet in football, Burns was a happy kid.
"I was young, but I was able to catch the stuff they did, the way they interacted," Burns said of his parents. "It helps me now with this whole transformation I have to do. They never said a bad word about anybody."
On Oct. 24, 2006, Dana Smith called her parents around 9 p.m., hysterical. She had learned Artie Sr. traveled to South Carolina, where he was arrested and, four months later, sentenced to 25 years for cocaine trafficking.
His mother's voice affirmed Burns' suspicions. He had known something was up for a while but didn't know exactly what. His father, who would travel a lot, said he had "friends everywhere."
Burns' last vision of his father was that day in the living room with his brothers nearby.
Trafficking in South Carolina requires offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence, no parole. His father's projected release date is May 24, 2027.
Smith's parents, John and Barbara Cason, assured their daughter she would have support, that the family wouldn't let "one bad apple take everything down the drain." Cason said his daughter was shocked about the drug trafficking and didn't see it coming.
"If we ate, they ate," John Cason said. "And so what my daughter did was try to protect [her sons] and fill that gap. She didn't let it interfere with nothing that she was doing, which was keeping the boys level-minded."
Smith eventually got a job in the accounting department for a warehouse manufacturer, and Burns got life lessons from Cason on fishing trips. He was told to be respectful, grounded, prompt and keep eye contact when addressing people.
It helped Burns that Smith didn't hide her sons from their father, making sure all three boys took turns talking to him when he called.
Efforts to contact Artie Burns Sr. by ESPN.com have been unsuccessful. The Department of Corrections does not allow personal interaction with the media.
His father's absence forced Burns to accelerate his growth, which he soon discovered he didn't mind. He liked to nurture.
"I had to step up and be that male role model to them," Burns said about his brothers. "We depended on each other."
Taking the field
In Liberty City, Florida, football is basically a state of mind. Those who love the sport adapt accordingly.
Burns covered now-Oakland Raiders receiver Amari Cooper at Miami Northwestern practices. Teddy Bridgewater and Lavonte David are two of Northwestern's brightest football alums.
This is an environment where competitors thrive, especially for athletes like Burns, who became a football and track star at Miami.
"It's an escape," said Tracy Howard, Burns' teammate at Miami who grew up nearby. "It helped make us who we are."
It also helps explain how Burns responded to that horrific week in late October, when Smith collapsed in a parking lot on her way to work. After being kept overnight at a local hospital, Smith died of a heart attack. She was 44.
Days earlier, Smith had made food for Burns and his defensive back teammates. She had told the Miami Herald how Burns had become a "positive role model" for the family. She was her lively self at the Sun Life Stadium tailgate scene before the Hurricanes' 58-0 loss to Clemson that resulted in Al Golden's firing. She was healthy, by all accounts, a strong-willed woman who "does not play" when it comes to raising boys, Cason said. Like her son, she was once a track athlete at Northwestern.
As a Steelers cornerback, Artie Burns now has a chance to fulfill his promise to his mother about raising his brothers while also making his father proud. AP Photo/Keith Srakocic
Dozens of teammates, family members and friends poured into the hospital with Cason organizing a prayer. Burns was visibly shaken but quiet.
By the hospital bed, Burns told his mother that he, then a 20-year-old, would raise her sons. Burns believes she heard him.
Burns jogged onto the practice field two days later, bouncing with limitless energy. Normalcy no longer existed, but Burns was going to try to find it.
"[Her death] kind of motivated me to keep going and that is definitely going to motivate me now to step into the league and win a Super Bowl," Burns said.
Miami coaches and players were amazed at Burns' resolve that week.
In that week's game against Duke, ending with the Hurricanes' wild eight-lateral sequence for a touchdown off a kickoff return, Burns was active in passing lanes and had chances at multiple interceptions.
"Getting onto the field and around his teammates sure helped him," then-defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio said. "He competed so hard that whole week. Everyone fed off his energy."
The Burns story touched the Miami community more than the athletic department imagined. The digital department started a GoFundMe account for Burns' medical bills. The money poured in, capped at $40,000. Burns finished the season with six interceptions, leading the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"We kept hitting refresh and refresh in the office," said Tom Symonds, UM's media relations director for football. "Every minute, the money would go up."
New life
Over a hearty plate at Joe's Stone Crab on the Miami strip, Burns told more of his story to Steelers brass. They also met with him at the NFL scouting combine. After each conversation, the team learned new nuggets of info, such as how Burns helped get his brothers ready for school before logging 45-minute drives to his pre-draft training facility in South Florida.
Artie Burns is looking for a home in Pennsylvania for his family, including girlfriend Ella and son A.J. Photo courtesy of Burns family
GM Kevin Colbert walked away from the draft process thinking Burns was a "special kid."
Burns' agent, Melvin Bratton, remembers Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin telling him, "If he's there [in the first round], he's my guy." Bratton, a Miami running back in the 1980s, has heard that from coaches before, but he had no reason to doubt Tomlin.
"He knew this kid's story and wanted to be in his life to help him," Bratton said. "For him to want to take this kid on, it's like an uncle figure."
Burns' most unique challenge awaits him in Pittsburgh. The Steelers last drafted a first-round cornerback in 1997. He's one of the last additions to the Steelers' defensive makeover. Many evaluators consider him talented but raw, a label he'll have to overcome in a hurry. As a former hurdler at Miami with 4.4 speed, the Steelers hope his natural ability and work ethic can overcome any early career shortcomings.
Many depend on Burns, on and off the field.
But Burns seems eager to validate the Steelers' faith.
"While I'm here, focus on this, and when I leave, focus on that," said Burns about juggling home life with football. "Just make sure everybody's happy."
The Casons assured Burns they would support him however necessary and plan to make trips to Pittsburgh. Burns is already is trying to make savvy adult decisions. He's protective of his new family, preferring Thomas not be interviewed for this story. Thomas, a track and football star like his brother, is already receiving power-conference scholarship offers for football. He'll deal with the media eventually, Burns said. Girlfriend Ella is his new rock, someone he "really respects." They've been together for about three years.
The family is still in Miami for now, except for his father. And Burns plans to visit Artie Burns Sr. as soon as organized team activities are over.
"He's supporting me, and says all his friends are, too," Burns said. "When we get this break, after the last session of OTAs, I'll go out there [to see him]."
What dad will see is a scarred yet inspired 21-year-old who might as well be going on 50.
Burns calls life a "tough journey," which gives him incentive to guide those around him.
"I've seen guys come out of high school and be prime-time guys and just fall off," Burns said. "I just want to be there for [my brothers], teach them how to get to this level. They have better potential than I have."
This is a lot of mentoring for someone who would be entering his senior year of college in the fall. Cason ensures Burns won't have sycophantic friends and family surrounding him, because the family's not built that way. Burns has good judgment and the Casons are protective.
If the past six months are any indication, Burns should be just fine. Those close to him are continually impressed with his ability to balance it all, and they want him to know he's not alone.
"Quitting is nowhere in this kid's bloodline," Bratton said.
play
Artie Burns: Family of five (1:10)
comment
9:00 AM ET
Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH -- Artie Burns has found a football fan club in an unusual location: the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, South Carolina.
Artie Burns Sr. has been telling fellow inmates about his son's football ascension, and he listened to the 2016 NFL draft on a prison-issued radio. A few days later, an 803 area code appeared on Burns' cell phone, a clear indication dad was approved for a call. Once he picked up, Burns heard all about the celebrations inside those walls when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Burns with the 25th overall pick.
Burns was an 11-year-old boy when he last saw his dad, who walked out of the living room in the fall of 2006 and said he'd "be right back." Between school and football, Burns hadn't found the right time to visit the prison. His father has 11 more years in prison for cocaine trafficking.
It made Burns become the man of the house at a young age, and that maturing process took another steep climb when his mother, Dana Smith, died of a heart attack this past October.
Yet Burns finds himself fueled by loss, almost emboldened by it. He covers wide receivers by day and two generations of family at night. He has taken younger brothers -- Thomas, now 16, and Jordan, 13 -- to track meets and football practices. He's scouting Pittsburgh-area schools for them. He's waiting to sign his rookie contract after which he plans to move girlfriend Ella, 1-year-old son A.J. and his brothers to Pennsylvania full-time.
All this must be carried out. Burns has made promises. Before his mother died, Burns said he would take care of everything, just as she had for so long.
"I'm the provider for my household," said Burns, a former Miami Hurricanes star who is now the Steelers' rookie cornerback.
Filling the gap
Artie Tyrone Burns Sr. and Dana Smith fell in love at Miami (Fla.) Northwestern High, got married and had three boys together. Every weekend in the fall, they would drive their oldest son to football games at the Southwest Boys and Girls Club. Burns played linebacker and running back for his dad, the head coach. Dana was the team mom. They'd stay at the field all afternoon, then cap off the day with a pizza trip.
Steelers' first-round pick Artie Burns (left), with his mother Dana Smith and brothers Jordan and Thomas, became a positive role model for his family after the incarceration of his father. Photo courtesy of the Burns family
Dad coached hard, reminding him to tackle like one of his favorites, Junior Seau. Artie loved to draw, and sometimes his crayons would find their way into dad's soft-cover football books on defensive principles.
With a stable home life and a quality outlet in football, Burns was a happy kid.
"I was young, but I was able to catch the stuff they did, the way they interacted," Burns said of his parents. "It helps me now with this whole transformation I have to do. They never said a bad word about anybody."
On Oct. 24, 2006, Dana Smith called her parents around 9 p.m., hysterical. She had learned Artie Sr. traveled to South Carolina, where he was arrested and, four months later, sentenced to 25 years for cocaine trafficking.
His mother's voice affirmed Burns' suspicions. He had known something was up for a while but didn't know exactly what. His father, who would travel a lot, said he had "friends everywhere."
Burns' last vision of his father was that day in the living room with his brothers nearby.
Trafficking in South Carolina requires offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence, no parole. His father's projected release date is May 24, 2027.
Smith's parents, John and Barbara Cason, assured their daughter she would have support, that the family wouldn't let "one bad apple take everything down the drain." Cason said his daughter was shocked about the drug trafficking and didn't see it coming.
"If we ate, they ate," John Cason said. "And so what my daughter did was try to protect [her sons] and fill that gap. She didn't let it interfere with nothing that she was doing, which was keeping the boys level-minded."
Smith eventually got a job in the accounting department for a warehouse manufacturer, and Burns got life lessons from Cason on fishing trips. He was told to be respectful, grounded, prompt and keep eye contact when addressing people.
It helped Burns that Smith didn't hide her sons from their father, making sure all three boys took turns talking to him when he called.
Efforts to contact Artie Burns Sr. by ESPN.com have been unsuccessful. The Department of Corrections does not allow personal interaction with the media.
His father's absence forced Burns to accelerate his growth, which he soon discovered he didn't mind. He liked to nurture.
"I had to step up and be that male role model to them," Burns said about his brothers. "We depended on each other."
Taking the field
In Liberty City, Florida, football is basically a state of mind. Those who love the sport adapt accordingly.
Burns covered now-Oakland Raiders receiver Amari Cooper at Miami Northwestern practices. Teddy Bridgewater and Lavonte David are two of Northwestern's brightest football alums.
This is an environment where competitors thrive, especially for athletes like Burns, who became a football and track star at Miami.
"It's an escape," said Tracy Howard, Burns' teammate at Miami who grew up nearby. "It helped make us who we are."
It also helps explain how Burns responded to that horrific week in late October, when Smith collapsed in a parking lot on her way to work. After being kept overnight at a local hospital, Smith died of a heart attack. She was 44.
Days earlier, Smith had made food for Burns and his defensive back teammates. She had told the Miami Herald how Burns had become a "positive role model" for the family. She was her lively self at the Sun Life Stadium tailgate scene before the Hurricanes' 58-0 loss to Clemson that resulted in Al Golden's firing. She was healthy, by all accounts, a strong-willed woman who "does not play" when it comes to raising boys, Cason said. Like her son, she was once a track athlete at Northwestern.
As a Steelers cornerback, Artie Burns now has a chance to fulfill his promise to his mother about raising his brothers while also making his father proud. AP Photo/Keith Srakocic
Dozens of teammates, family members and friends poured into the hospital with Cason organizing a prayer. Burns was visibly shaken but quiet.
By the hospital bed, Burns told his mother that he, then a 20-year-old, would raise her sons. Burns believes she heard him.
Burns jogged onto the practice field two days later, bouncing with limitless energy. Normalcy no longer existed, but Burns was going to try to find it.
"[Her death] kind of motivated me to keep going and that is definitely going to motivate me now to step into the league and win a Super Bowl," Burns said.
Miami coaches and players were amazed at Burns' resolve that week.
In that week's game against Duke, ending with the Hurricanes' wild eight-lateral sequence for a touchdown off a kickoff return, Burns was active in passing lanes and had chances at multiple interceptions.
"Getting onto the field and around his teammates sure helped him," then-defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio said. "He competed so hard that whole week. Everyone fed off his energy."
The Burns story touched the Miami community more than the athletic department imagined. The digital department started a GoFundMe account for Burns' medical bills. The money poured in, capped at $40,000. Burns finished the season with six interceptions, leading the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"We kept hitting refresh and refresh in the office," said Tom Symonds, UM's media relations director for football. "Every minute, the money would go up."
New life
Over a hearty plate at Joe's Stone Crab on the Miami strip, Burns told more of his story to Steelers brass. They also met with him at the NFL scouting combine. After each conversation, the team learned new nuggets of info, such as how Burns helped get his brothers ready for school before logging 45-minute drives to his pre-draft training facility in South Florida.
Artie Burns is looking for a home in Pennsylvania for his family, including girlfriend Ella and son A.J. Photo courtesy of Burns family
GM Kevin Colbert walked away from the draft process thinking Burns was a "special kid."
Burns' agent, Melvin Bratton, remembers Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin telling him, "If he's there [in the first round], he's my guy." Bratton, a Miami running back in the 1980s, has heard that from coaches before, but he had no reason to doubt Tomlin.
"He knew this kid's story and wanted to be in his life to help him," Bratton said. "For him to want to take this kid on, it's like an uncle figure."
Burns' most unique challenge awaits him in Pittsburgh. The Steelers last drafted a first-round cornerback in 1997. He's one of the last additions to the Steelers' defensive makeover. Many evaluators consider him talented but raw, a label he'll have to overcome in a hurry. As a former hurdler at Miami with 4.4 speed, the Steelers hope his natural ability and work ethic can overcome any early career shortcomings.
Many depend on Burns, on and off the field.
But Burns seems eager to validate the Steelers' faith.
"While I'm here, focus on this, and when I leave, focus on that," said Burns about juggling home life with football. "Just make sure everybody's happy."
The Casons assured Burns they would support him however necessary and plan to make trips to Pittsburgh. Burns is already is trying to make savvy adult decisions. He's protective of his new family, preferring Thomas not be interviewed for this story. Thomas, a track and football star like his brother, is already receiving power-conference scholarship offers for football. He'll deal with the media eventually, Burns said. Girlfriend Ella is his new rock, someone he "really respects." They've been together for about three years.
The family is still in Miami for now, except for his father. And Burns plans to visit Artie Burns Sr. as soon as organized team activities are over.
"He's supporting me, and says all his friends are, too," Burns said. "When we get this break, after the last session of OTAs, I'll go out there [to see him]."
What dad will see is a scarred yet inspired 21-year-old who might as well be going on 50.
Burns calls life a "tough journey," which gives him incentive to guide those around him.
"I've seen guys come out of high school and be prime-time guys and just fall off," Burns said. "I just want to be there for [my brothers], teach them how to get to this level. They have better potential than I have."
This is a lot of mentoring for someone who would be entering his senior year of college in the fall. Cason ensures Burns won't have sycophantic friends and family surrounding him, because the family's not built that way. Burns has good judgment and the Casons are protective.
If the past six months are any indication, Burns should be just fine. Those close to him are continually impressed with his ability to balance it all, and they want him to know he's not alone.
"Quitting is nowhere in this kid's bloodline," Bratton said.