Former MLB draft pick trying to catch on with Purdue football

Based on the early returns, it's unclear when Jarrett Burgess might help Purdue's football program.

Who's Jarrett Burgess? Just an interesting story and maybe an intriguing prospect.

He's a freshman walk-on. He wears No. 80. He's listed as a receiver. He hasn't played football in more than a decade. He turned 25 on Aug. 10, making Burgess the oldest player in coach Darrell Hazell's program.

"They call me pops," Burgess said of his new teammates.

How did Burgess end up in West Lafayette? He was timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.29.

"Just turning over bricks," Hazell said.

Before he was timed in Chicago last winter working out at EFT Sports Performance, Burgess enjoyed another career.

He was a sixth-round draft pick by the Seattle Mariners in 2008 after attending Florida Christian High School in Miami. He started playing football when he was 7 but stopped before entering high school, instead focusing on baseball. He bounced around the Mariners organization for five seasons, reaching the Class A level in 2010 and 2011.

His career as a center fielder began to stall. Burgess started the transition to become a pitcher.

"I threw 97 off the mound and I was a pretty good pitcher," he said.

This was his ticket. No more long bus rides. No more eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. A dream was about to be fulfilled.

But wait.

"I accumulated bone spurs over the years of just playing baseball and they got misplaced and got caught in some of the joints," he said. "When they removed it, they had to shave some of the bones down near my elbow. When I got back, I couldn't throw my slider the same way. My changeup wasn't moving the same and I wasn't producing the same."

His dream vanished. Burgess has always wanted to pursue another dream – playing football.

"I've always been a better football player than baseball player," Burgess said.

How did he know?

Burgess does come from a football family. His father, Fernanza, played for the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. His uncle, James Burgess, Sr., was a member of the San Diego Chargers. His cousin, James Burgess, Jr., is a senior linebacker at Louisville and a preseason All-ACC team selection.

He pushed forward. He placed himself on a strict diet, transforming his body from a baseball player to a football player. He lived in Miami with his mother. He trained six days a week. A friend set him up with EFT Sports Performance where he worked out next to players from Notre Dame preparing for the NFL Combine.

That's when he was timed in the 40. Film was distributed. Hazell and his coaching staff made a connection.

"We pursued it pretty hard and I'm glad we did," Hazell said. "He's different, he's unbelievably different."

No question, Burgess is athletic. He looks the part. Even fans who have come out to watch practice noticed. But he's unsure when running routes through the first week of camp. He's learning how to catch passes with his hands and not his body. There's plenty of dropped passes and the lack of ball security is evident.

But he's only done this one week.

Burgess has a chance to improve because he's gifted athletically, but can he make enough progress to help this season or beyond? Special teams could be an option or is he the receiver who outruns the defense when the Boilermakers need a Hail Mary?

He developed a strong connection with Hazell, his coaching staff and the players and was invited to walk on. He arrived July 10 and was given clearance by the NCAA a few days before camp started.

Although he spent five seasons in the minors, his baseball career never gained significant traction. He has no regrets about his career ending before reaching the big leagues.

"One of the biggest things about being an athlete is it teaches you to be a better man," Burgess said. "That's what pro baseball and the Mariners did for me. Never give up and be a better person. I'm thankful for everything that I've been through."

Burgess said Northwestern and Notre Dame expressed interest after watching his film, but he was destined to end up at Purdue after following Neil Armstrong's career growing up.

"My first aspiration was to be an astronaut and a football player, and here I am at a school that produced the first guy to walk on the moon," Burgess said.

Upcoming Purdue practice schedule

Monday: 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday: 10:15 a.m.

Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Thursday: 10:15 a.m.

Saturday: 11:15 a.m. (jersey scrimmage)