Although most high school athletes’ lives revolve around sports, there are times when the responsibility to one’s family is more important than the responsibility to a team or a coach.
That was the crossroad facing Dylan Burruss just a couple of weeks ago when Lawton High was preparing for what was essentially a postseason-elimination game against Choctaw.
He could either make the 1.5-hour trip up the turnpike with his team, or he could babysit his niece for his 30-year-old brother.
The senior is a dedicated scout team player, and though he knew the chances of him getting on the field were slim, it didn’t make the decision process any easier. He didn’t want to let his teammates down.
However, Burruss had to decide which was more important in the overall scheme — his team or his family. He chose the latter.
He realized sometimes his presence is even more important at home than on the sideline at a football stadium.
Burruss said informing LHS coach Ryan Breeze of his decision and why he wouldn’t be able to make it to the game was difficult.
“I didn’t want to miss the game because I knew it was a big game,” Burruss said. “But I was pretty sure they were going to pull through anyway because we’re Lawton High, and that’s what we do. I was really upset I missed it because my good friend Chateau (Reed) got his first kickoff return for a touchdown, so I couldn’t hype him up then. I watched a good portion of it online on OSN’s stream, so I didn’t miss too much.”
Breeze said it took him off guard because it wasn’t typical of Burruss to miss even a practice, but he understood some circumstances are unavoidable, especially those involving family.
“I was shocked,” Breeze said. “I thought about fighting it, but I told him, ‘It’s your call.’ It’s the first time he’s ever done that, and he’s a really good kid who comes from a good family and does everything we ask. He is very dependable.”
It is that dependability that made Breeze so understanding and accepting of the situation. Breeze knew Burruss’ heart was in the right place.
Breeze said Burruss loves being on the team, and he knows the senior wouldn’t have missed the game unless it was absolutely vital for him to be elsewhere.
“He enjoys being a Wolverine,” Breeze said. “He’s not getting a great deal of playing time right now, but he’s very vital to the team in a sense that he gives us a great look every day on scout team. He’s extremely bought in to the program and loves Wolverines football. He’s the kind of kid you want in your program and who you’re proud of.”
Burruss is normally an outside linebacker on the scout team, and his role changes from week to week depending on what the opposing team brings schematically.
“What the other teams do determines who I go up against and how I blitz,” Burruss said. “A couple of games ago, I lined up as a 9-techinque and blitzed off the edge, so I got to go against our tight ends and help them get prepped for someone coming off the edge who was pretty quick.
“All in all, it’s not that bad of a deal. Yeah, I don’t get to go out and show my stuff to everyone, but when you’re on the scout team and make a play against the starters, it’s usually pretty fun. You’re just a scout player, and you’re making plays against guys like Hector Becerra.”
Of course, defending one of Class 6A-II’s best offenses on a daily basis has made for some interesting memories. Battling the likes of running back Miles Davis and Becerra, a future Division I lineman, will undoubtedly do that.
One occurrence that stands out in Burruss’ mind happened last season against big man Nate Eggleton.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 246 pounds, Eggleton was quite an intimidating presence, even to his own teammates.
On one fateful day during practice, Burruss came head-to-head with Eggleton, but he didn’t back down.
“He’s a big ‘ol boy,” Burruss said. “I’m not that big — I’m only like 5-8 or 5-9. He got a screen on the outside, and I ended up having to go ahead and tackle him. I got trucked, but I also made the play, so that was pretty fun.”