Bennett Auxford "B. A." Burks, Jr. (January 24, 1883 – February 24, 1938) was a

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

player and

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

University of Alabama

Burks was a prominent

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

for the Alabama Crimson White of the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

from

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's f ...

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

. He was said to be the school's "first running back hero" who would "carry whole teams on his back." He was nominated though not selected for an ''Associated Press'' All-Time Southeast 1869-1919 era team. At Alabama he was a member of the

Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Tau Omega (), commonly known as ATO, is an American social fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1865 by Otis Allan Glazebrook. The fraternity has around 250 active and inactive chapters and colonies in the United Stat ...

fraternity.

1905

Burks was

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the 1905 team, selected All-Southern the same year. Burks starred in the opening win of 17 to 0 over Maryville. A number of Alabama turnovers kept the game scoreless through halftime.

T. S. Sims T. S. Sims was a college football player. Alabama Sims was a prominent guard for the Alabama Crimson White of the University of Alabama. 1905 Sims scored in the opening win of 17 to 0 over Maryville in 1905. A number of Alabama turnovers kep ...

scored the first touchdown and Burks added a 95-yard return for a touchdown. "The overworked Burks, who appeared to bear the entire brunt of Alabama's offense," collapsed on the field during the second half of a 12 to 5 loss to

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

. Burks scored in the 30 to 0 victory over Auburn in what was then the largest crowd ever to see a game in Birmingham (4,000).

1906

In the

Iron Bowl The Alabama–Auburn football rivalry, better known as the Iron Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game between the Auburn University Tigers and University of Alabama Crimson Tide, both charter members of the Southeastern Conferenc ...

of 1906 he scored all of Alabama's points in a 10 to 0 victory.

High school football

In 1908 he coached the Barton Academy high school football team.

Physician

Burks was the college physician of

Rollins College Rollins College is a private college in Winter Park, Florida. It was founded in November 1885 and has about 30 undergraduate majors and several graduate programs. It is Florida's fourth oldest post-secondary institution. History Rollins Colle ...

for 12 years. When Rollins opened a 7-bed infirmary in 1933, he and one Dr. Ruth Hart cared for students, assisted by a staff of nurses. He died of a throat malady on February 24, 1938.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Burks, Auxford 1883 births 1938 deaths All-Southern college football players American football running backs Alabama Crimson Tide football players Players of American football from Tuscaloosa, Alabama Physicians from Alabama People from Winter Park, Florida