Jan. 5, 2010
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -
By Leigh Torbin
UCFAthletics.com
After a UCF career which saw him earn eight All-Conference USA awards, Joe Burnett was chosen in the 2009 NFL Draft's fifth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Burnett just concluded a solid rookie season. He was a regular on special teams and also saw some action as a reserve cornerback, making 17 tackles on the year.
UCFAthletics.com was at Land Shark Stadium on Sunday after the Steelers' season-ending 30-24 win over the Miami Dolphins and caught up with the UCF All-American for a quick Q&A.
How did your rookie season go?
"It was a great experience. I enjoyed it. I learned so much from guys like Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Ike Taylor and all of them. This year, I just soaked in everything that I could and I also had to learn the business part of playing this game in the NFL. I had fun. It was a blast. I love the Steelers. It's a great group of guys."
What was the most memorable thing about the year?
"The adversity. That was the highlight. We came in here as Super Bowl Champions and our expectations were high. The adversity that I experienced my first year in the league was good. It's always good to get that under your belt and hit that stepping stone. Now I know how to approach the next season to take another step."
What is the biggest difference between professional and college football?
"The biggest difference is speed and knowledge. The guys here are like having 22 coaches on the field. Any one of these guys could coach a team on the high school level. There are a lot of guys who are intelligent and know the game inside and out. There's a lot of smart guys who study more and learn the techniques of the game."
Did UCF prepare you well to play at this level?
"UCF prepared me very well to play in the league. Coach O'Leary and coach Huxtable got me prepared as far as discipline. Like I said, the adversity of this season was one of the highlights of this thing. Being disciplined helped me to overcome that. It got me prepared for that and I am thankful for that."
Do you keep in touch with fellow pro sports rookie and UCF Knight Jermaine Taylor?
"We do keep up and talk. He started out a little slow at the beginning but is coming on now for the Rockets. I hope to see him play now that our season is over."
Did you follow the Knights this year? UCF fans sure did follow your career.
"I love the UCF fans. I have followed them as well. It was a great season for the UCF Knights. They got to a bowl game and hopefully they can go out and get one again next year. I'll be there to train with them over the summer. I heard a lot about Josh Robinson following in my footsteps. Hopefully I can get down there and get in the gym with him teach him a little bit of what I know now."