Rex Burkhead

Rex Burkhead, born on July 2, 1990, in Winchester, Kentucky, developed his athletic skills early, playing high school football at Plano Senior High School in Plano, Texas. During his junior year, he recorded 1,762 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns, contributing to his team’s state semifinal appearance. His academic achievements were also notable, earning a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Nebraska in three and a half years and receiving multiple scholar-athlete awards, including first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2011 and 2012.

Burkhead’s collegiate football career at the University of Nebraska saw him play in 9 games as a freshman in 2009, rushing for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2010, he accumulated 951 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. His standout junior season in 2011 led to him being named a first-team All-Big Ten selection with 1,357 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Despite injuries in his senior year in 2012, he still managed 675 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns. He was considered a top running back prospect leading up to the 2013 NFL Draft.

Drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Burkhead embarked on a 10-season professional football career. He played four seasons with the Bengals, followed by four seasons with the New England Patriots, where he achieved a Super Bowl LIII championship. He concluded his career with two seasons playing for the Houston Texans, officially announcing his retirement from the NFL in February 2024. Throughout his career, he accumulated 1,908 rushing yards, 1,534 receiving yards, and 26 total touchdowns, demonstrating versatility as a running back.