Southern Miss grad works hard to keep Redskins on field

By Alan Hinton
American Assistant Sports Editor

Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs listens closely to a University of Southern Mississippi graduate every day.

Gibbs doesn't always like what John Burrell tells him. But he knows that what Burrell says has an important bearing on the Redskins' success this NFL season.

Burrell, a 1990 Southern Miss graduate, is the head athletic trainer for the Redskins.

"Coach Gibbs hates to hear about anybody getting hurt," Burrell said. "All coaches are like that. But he's a master of taking a situation and making the best of it. He knows football is a contact sport and there will be injuries. He knows I didn't hurt them. So he wants me to get them prepared to come back. He's really good about that."

Burrell, 38, has taken a long and winding road to get where he is today. A native of Vicksburg, he took an interest in training when he was in junior high school.

"Growing up, I wasn't big enough to play football," Burrell said. "My first coach was named Jim Sizemore (who later became head coach at Hattiesburg High School) and his son, Steve, was at Southern Miss as a trainer. That got me interested.

"I attended student athletic trainer workshops for about seven years straight during the summer, then worked it as a camp staff person for four years. It was a great opportunity for someone from Vicksburg High."

"He was one of the finest young men I have ever been around," said former USM head trainer Jim Gallaspy.

"When he was in school, he was one of the real leaders amongst our students. He was good academically, polite, well dressed, a nice young man."

Burrell worked under another former USM head trainer, Larry (Doc) Harrington Sr., with the USM men's basketball team, then went to Southeastern Louisiana for his masters degree.

"He was a good worker, interested in what he was doing and was good at what he was doing," Harrington said. "He was happy with his job. I'm really happy for him."

<a href='http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/news/stories/20040829/southernmissnews/1137072.html' target='_blank'>AMERICAN: Southern Miss grad works with Skins</a>