By Angie Ledbetter

Marvin Burdette is finally living his dream.

The former South Panola standout linebacker  signed a three-year free agent deal with the Washington Redskins Saturday night.

Sunday, Burdette took a stroll across the football field where he once terrorized opposing running backs.

“This is where I started,” the nation’s leading tackler said. “It all started here before it was turf and before the home stands were actually toward the school. It’s where I came to watch people like Deshea Townsend, Chris Young and all those guys came to play ball. The dream started here and now I’m there. It’s neat that you can come out here and have all those memories.”

His dreams of playing in the National Football League started in the seventh grade and continued throughout his high school years while playing at South Panola and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

All during his high school years he was told he was too short. He had to prove himself.

“If someone feels they don’t have to prove themselves then they’re not working. As time goes on it shows that as long as you handle your business and do things the right way, then it’ll take care of itself,” Burdette said

While at UAB, he had a career record of 406 total tackles and 157 his senior year which set a season record. His 24 tackles against Tulane set a school record.

Burdette came home to be with his family to watch the draft.

“I got in Thursday so I could watch the draft with my family,” he said. “Just like every athlete at this stage you’re nervous. You don’t know what’s going to happen and you hear a lot of things before the week but you’re just hoping that if it’s good it sticks true and if not then something happens magically with any changes at the last minute.”

Burdette watched 15 straight hours of the draft.

Burdette described the feeling of going through the draft as a little kid who’s looking forward to a vacation.

“When you were a little kid and you’re waiting on your parents because they keep telling you that you’re going on vacation and then all of a sudden it’s time for that vacation and they say we can’t go. That’s the worse feeling for a little kid to go through and the draft process was similar to that. It was devastating. I felt like all the things I had done had gone unnoticed.”

His plans were simply to come home, go fishing and hang out with the family. He had to stay by the phone in case someone called. Because of poor phone service in the country he had to leave his phone in one spot and stay beside it in case someone called.

No phone call from anyone on the first day of the draft but Burdette was not expecting it.

“Everybody wants to look at themselves as a first round draft pick. With the things I’ve accomplished you’d say they would be the ideal first round characteristics—but I accept that I have my flaws as far as my height. I just learn to deal with it.”

Burdette expected his name to be called on Friday.

“I felt like this was my shot and the third might be my bid. When that was over I knew it was for sure Saturday. I knew whatever went down Saturday it was over with either my career or just the beginning.”

The fourth round went by, then fifth round passed him by and even the sixth round but he did get a call from his agent James Chris Martin of Chicago.

“Right after the fifth round he called to tell me to hold tight that he had Washington on the line and they were trying to cut a deal for us and just for me to hold. That eased my mind. At that point though, I didn’t even know Washington was interested in me.”

The team Burdette was looking at was the Houston Texans.

“I kept thinking they were going to step up and make a move here and there but every time they’d trade they’d go lower in the draft to pick so it never did happen.”

Immediately after the seventh round was over Burdett’s agent called back and told him he had a deal with Washington.

“After that I got over the process of getting drafted and now I’m at a team, have a contract and I’m still trying to get it all in. I still can’t believe it.”

Other teams interested in Burdette included Green Bay, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Buffalo and Atlanta.

“My parents and everybody stuck with me during the entire time,” Burdette said. “I thought I was going to have to hand out blood pressure pills to everybody.”

However, Burdette was expecting to hear his name called in the draft.

“I didn’t care if it was the first round, the third or seventh I was expecting to get drafted. I just wanted to be able to put my foot in the door. They always say we pray for things and they come but just in a different form and it came in a different form for me and I wouldn’t take it back for anything.

“I’m glad the Washington Redskins picked me up and I’m glad to be part of the organization,” Burdette said.

Early Sunday Burdette sat at a table to eat lunch with his family. He was steadily receiving calls or text messages. He said it had been that way ever since the news got out.

One call he received was from former head Coach Willis Wright who had influenced him so much. 

“Coach Wright was a guy that you could learn from,” Burdette said. “Anything he asked me to do, I would do it simply because he just knew how to talk to you and how to coach. The knowledge of the game he has is unbelievable and I’ve learned so much from him.

“He told me that he was proud of me when he called and had so much joy,” Burdette continued. “I told him about the three-year deal and he told me they must really want me.”

Burdette mentioned a host of other coaches who had influenced him throughout his football career.

Right after the deal went through Burdette said he immediately wanted to start thanking people because he didn’t get to this point alone.

“First I go to my mom and dad. They’ve played a huge role and helped keep me focused. So that I will not miss a name, I’d like to thank the city of Batesville just for supporting me. The people here have always been positive toward me.”

Burdette also played in two all-star games in January. The first one was the Casino Sol game in Tucson, Ariz. and the next week he played in the Raycom College Football All-Star Classic in Montgomery.

“I got to meet new people at both,” Burdette said. “It was odd because there were big names there and we had an autograph session. Well no one knew who I was and I was the leading tackler in the nation so they didn’t want my autograph except one lady who was from UAB.”

Burdette will leave Thursday for his first minicamp and then return to Birmingham to graduate May 11.