Morgan Mark Burnett (born January 13, 1989) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
strong safety
Safety is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free safety and the strong safety. Their dut ...
. He played
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 ...
at
Georgia Tech and was selected by the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
in the third round of the
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
. He also played for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
and
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
.
High school career
A native of
College Park, Georgia
College Park is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton and Clayton County, Georgia, Clayton counties, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States, adjacent to the southern boundary of the city of Atlanta. As of the 2020 United States Census, 20 ...
, Burnett attended
North Clayton High School
North Clayton High School is a four-year public high school located in College Park, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Clayton County Public Schools. The school was created in 1937 as Flat Rock School, serving 44 students in grades 8–10 ...
, where he played for the North Clayton Eagles
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
team. He was named Class AAAA first-team all-state as a senior after earning honorable mention all-state recognition at
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
as a sophomore. He made 135 tackles as a senior and six interceptions including three that he returned for touchdowns.
Burnett was also a four-year letterman in
track & field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
, where he was one of the states top performers in the triple jump. He got a personal-best leap of 47 ft, 12 in (14.61 meters) in the
triple jump
The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to the long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down th ...
. He also competed in the long jump, 400-meters and relays.
Considered a four-star recruit by ''
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
'', Burnett ranked seventh among safety prospects nationwide. He was offered athletic scholarship by a number of high-major schools, including
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
, and
Georgia, before choosing to attend Georgia Tech on January 10, 2007.
College career
As a freshman, Burnett played in all 13 games and started against
UNC UNC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:
Education
* University of Northern California (disambiguation), which may refer to:
** University of Northern California (Santa Rosa), in Petaluma, California, United States
** University of Nor ...
. He subbed at safety and came in on the
nickel package all season. Burnett led the team in interceptions (3) and ranked fifth on the team in tackles (57, 37 solo). He subsequently earned ACC All-Freshman team by ''
Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
''.
As a sophomore in 2008, Burnett started all 13 games for the Yellow Jackets. He recorded 93 tackles, of which 62 were solo. Burnett also had seven interceptions and returned them for 95 yards. In the season opener vs. Jacksonville State, he picked off two
Ryan Perrilloux
Ryan Anthony Perrilloux (born January 1, 1987) is an American football quarterback that played in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, Arena Football League and Ligue Élite de Football Américain in France. He played colleg ...
passes, returning one of them 47 yards. Later in the season, he picked off a
Matthew Stafford pass and returned it 35 yards for his first career touchdown at
Georgia. Burnett was named to a number of All-ACC and All-American teams, including ''
Pro Football Weekly''′s 2008 All-America first-team.
On January 11, 2010, Burnett announced he would enter his name in the
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
and forgo his senior season.
Professional career
Green Bay Packers
The
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
selected Burnett in the third round (71st overall) of the
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
. The Packers acquired the 71st overall pick to draft Burnett after trading with the Philadelphia Eagles their third (86th overall) and fourth round (122nd overall) picks. He was the sixth safety selected in 2010.
2010
On July 17, 2010, the Green Bay Packers signed Burnett to a four-year,
$3.50 million
contract
A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
that includes a
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $875,100.
Burnett entered training camp competing for the job as the starting strong safety against veterans
Atari Bigby
Atari David Bigby (born September 19, 1981) is a former American football safety. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at the University of Central Florida.
Bigby has also been a me ...
and
Charlie Peprah
Charles Yaw Peprah (born February 24, 1983) is a former American football safety and current football scout. He played college football at Alabama. Peprah was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also b ...
. He progressed quickly and received first-team reps after Bigby held out due to a contract dispute. Head coach
Mike McCarthy named Burnett the starting strong safety to start the regular season, alongside free safety
Nick Collins
Nicholas Cordell Collins (born August 16, 1983) is a former American football safety who played seven seasons for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Bethune-Cookman, and was drafted by ...
.
He started the
Green Bay Packers' season-opener at the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
and recorded two solo tackles during their 27–20 victory. The following week, Burnett recorded a season-high five combined tackles, deflected a pass, and made his first career interception off of a pass by quarterback
Trent Edwards
Trent Addison Edwards (born October 30, 1983) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Stanford and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Edwards took over the sta ...
in their 34–7 victory over the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. In Week 4, Burnett made three solo tackles before leaving the 28–26 win against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
in the second quarter after suffering an injury. The next day, it was discovered that Burnett had torn his ACL and was placed on injured reserve three days later for the remainder of the season. Burnett finished his rookie season with 14 combined tackles (12 solo), one pass deflection, and an interception in four games and four starts. The Packers finished the 2010 season second in the NFC North with a 10–6 record and went on to win
Super Bowl XLV after defeating the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
31–25.
2011
Burnett returned as the ''de facto'' starting strong safety in 2011 after Atari Bigby departed in free agency. He started the
Green Bay Packers' season-opener against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
and collected a career-high 14 combined tackles (seven solo) during a 42–34 victory. The following week, he collected eight solo tackles, two pass deflections, an interception, and made his first career sack on quarterback
Cam Newton in the Packers' 30–23 victory at the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. In Week 3, Burnett made six combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted two pass attempts by quarterback
Jay Cutler during a 27–17 victory at the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. It marked Burnett's first career multi-interception game. On December 11, 2011, Burnett recorded a season-high ten solo tackles as they routed the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
46–16. He finished the season with 107 combined tackles (78 solo), a career-high 11 pass deflections, three interceptions, and a sack in 16 games and 16 starts.
The Packers finished first in the
NFC North 15-1 record and secured a playoff berth and a first round bye. On January 15, 2012, Burnett started his first career playoff game and recorded four combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
as the Packers lost 37-20 to the eventual
Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
Champions the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in NFC Divisional round.
2012
Defensive coordinator
Dom Capers opted to move Burnett to
free safety
Safety is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free safety and the strong safety. Their dut ...
after the Packers moved cornerback
Charles Woodson
Charles Cameron Woodson (born October 7, 1976) is a former American football defensive back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Mic ...
to strong safety due to the release of Nick Collins after he suffered a severe neck injury in 2011.
On September 30, 2012, Burnett recorded a season-high 14 combined tackles (eight solo) and deflected a pass during a 28–27 victory against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. In Week 8, he collected 11 combined tackles and sacked
Blaine Gabbert in the Packers' 24–15 win against the
Jacksonville Jaguars. On December 2, 2012, Burnett made seven combined tackles, three pass deflections, and intercepted two pass attempts by
Christian Ponder
Christian Andrew Ponder (born February 25, 1988) is a former American football quarterback. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Florida State, and was drafted by the Minnesota ...
during a 23–14 victory against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
in Week 13. He finished the season with a 123 combined tackles (88 solo), five pass deflections, two interceptions, and two sacks in 16 games and 16 starts.
He was one of two defensive players in the NFL to play every snap in every game in the season, along with
James Laurinaitis
James Richard Laurinaitis (born December 3, 1986) is a former American football linebacker who played for the St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a t ...
of the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arri ...
. Pro Football Focus graded him out as the 16th best safety in 2012.
2013
On July 15, 2013, the Green Bay Packers signed Burnett to a four-year, $24.75 million contract extension that includes a signing bonus of $8.25 million.
Head coach
Mike McCarthy named Burnett the starting free safety, alongside
M. D. Jennings
Melvin Delanie Jennings (born July 25, 1988) is a former American football safety. He played college football at Arkansas State and was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2011.
Early years
Jennings was born in Grena ...
, who replaced Charles Woodson after his departure to the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
. On August 23, 2013, Burnett made one tackle before leaving the Packers' third preseason game against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
with a
hamstring injury. The injury sidelined him for the first three games of the regular season (Weeks 1–3). In Week 11, Burnett recorded a season-high 12 combined tackles (six solo) during a 27–13 loss at the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. The following week, he had a season-high eight solo tackles and four assisted tackles in the Packers' 26–26 overtime tie with the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. He finished the season with 96 combined tackles (60 solo) and six pass deflections in 13 games and 13 starts.
The Packers finished first in their division with an 8-7-1 record, but were eliminated after losing in the NFC Wild Card game for the second consecutive season. Burnett recorded six solo tackles in their 23–20 loss to the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
.
2014
During the off-season, the Green Bay Packers opted to not resign M. D. Jennings and moved Burnett back to strong safety in his place. Head coach Mike McCarthy named him the starting strong safety, along with free safety
Micah Hyde, to begin the 2014 regular season.
In Week 4, Burnett recorded a season-high 13 combined tackles during a 38–17 victory at the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. He missed the Packers' Week 8 loss at the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
after suffering a
calf injury. He returned in Week 11 and recorded six combined tackles, a pass deflection, and sacked Jay Cutler during the Packers' 55–14 win against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. On December 8, 2014, he collected eight combined tackles, broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass by
Matt Ryan during a 43–37 win over the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
.
He finished the season with a career-high 130 combined tackles (94 solo), four pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, and an interception in 15 games and 15 starts.
His 130 combined tackles led the team and all defensive backs in the league. On January 18, 2015, Burnett collected ten combined tackles (eight solo), a pass deflection, an interception, and sacked
Russell Wilson
Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played his first 10 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson is widely regarded ...
in a 28–22 loss at the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
.
2015
Head coach
Mike McCarthy named Burnett the starting strong safety to start the regular season, opposite
HaHa Clinton-Dix. On August 29, 2015, Burnett recorded four solo tackles before leaving the Packers' 39–26 loss to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
in the third preseason game due to a calf injury. He was inactive for the Packers' season-opening 31–23 victory at the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. In Week 3, he recorded three solo tackles during a 27–17 win against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
and went on to miss the next four games (Weeks 3–6) after aggravating his calf injury. On December 20, 2015, Burnett recorded eight combined tackles and a season-high three pass deflections in a 30–20 win at the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
. The following week, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) and broke up a pass as the Packers were routed 38–8 at the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. He finished his sixth season in season with 68 combined tackles (47 solo) and five pass deflections in 11 games and 11 starts.
Pro Football Focus ranked him the fourth highest graded safety in 2015 with an overall grade of 88.5 and gave him a coverage grade of 81.2. Burnett was also ranked the third best strong safety in 2015 by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
''.
2016
He started the
Green Bay Packers' season-opener at the
Jacksonville Jaguars and recorded a season-high eight solo tackles, an assisted tackle, and sacked quarterback
Blake Bortles during a 27–23 victory. Burnett was inactive for the Packers' Week 3 victory at the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
due to a
groin injury he sustained the previous week. On October 16, 2016, Burnett collected a season-high ten combined tackles, deflected two passes, and intercepted a pass by
Dallas Cowboys' quarterback
Dak Prescott in their 30–16 loss. He finished the season with 93 combined tackles (70 solo), nine pass deflections, three sacks, and two interceptions in 15 games and 15 starts.
He received an overall grade of 84.0 from Pro Football Focus, ranking 15th among all qualified safeties in 2016.
2017
In Week 4, Burnett recorded a season-high nine combined tackles during a 35–14 victory over the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. He missed two consecutive games (Weeks 6–7) after sustaining a
hamstring injury. On November 6, 2017, he made five combined tackles during a 30–17 loss to the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
before leaving in the fourth quarter after sustaining a groin injury. The injury sidelined him for the next two games (Weeks 10–11). He returned in Week 12 and made a season-high nine solo tackles during a 31–28 loss at the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. He finished the season with 68 combined tackles (48 solo) and three pass deflections in 12 games and 12 starts.
Pro Football Focus gave Burnett an overall grade of 77.2, which ranked 51st among all qualifying safeties in 2017.
Pittsburgh Steelers
On March 20, 2018, the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
signed Burnett to a three-year, $14.35 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $4.25 million.
On April 1, 2019, Burnett was released by the Steelers.
Cleveland Browns
On April 5, 2019, Burnett signed a two-year contract with the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
.
In week 11 against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, Burnett intercepted a pass thrown by former teammate
Mason Rudolph before tearing his Achilles in the 21–7 win. After the game, Burnett was ruled out for the season. He finished the season starting eight games, recording 41 tackles, two passes defensed, an interception, and two sacks.
On March 16, 2020, Burnett was released by the Browns.
Burnett announced his retirement from professional football on March 29, 2021. He retired as a Green Bay Packer on August 30, 2022.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
Personal life
Burnett was raised by his parents, Cap and Ellary Burnett, in
College Park, Georgia
College Park is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton and Clayton County, Georgia, Clayton counties, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States, adjacent to the southern boundary of the city of Atlanta. As of the 2020 United States Census, 20 ...
. His older brother, Cap Burnett Jr., played college football at
Georgia (1999-2002) and is currently the head coach of
North Clayton High School's football team. His father played college football at the
Memphis State
}
The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students.
The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering, the Center for Ea ...
and had a minor stint with the
Memphis Showboats of the
USFL. Burnett's father died in 2015 from a heart attack. He also holds the Morgan Burnett Football Camp, which is an annual free youth football camp held in
Riverside, Colquitt County, Georgia
Riverside was a town in Colquitt County, Georgia, United States. The population was 35 at the 2010 census. Riverside surrendered its municipal charter effective August 18, 2016, due to low population.
History
The community was named for its riv ...
for children 6-14. He grew up as a fan of the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
.
Nicolette Aaron and Burnett established the Burnett Family Foundation which holds an annual turkey drive to aide families and give them the necessities to have a Thanksgiving dinner. They currently reside in Marietta, Georgia with their three children; a daughter and two sons named Morgan Jr. and Logan.
Burnett is now the Head Coach of the
George Walton Comprehensive High School Freshman Football Team.
References
External links
Green Bay Packers bio*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burnett, Morgan
1989 births
Living people
American football safeties
Sportspeople from College Park, Georgia
Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football players
Green Bay Packers players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
Cleveland Browns players