By Austin Moss
NFL Player Engagement
Dialleo Burks Sr. (pronounced dee-AH-low) is Head Coach of the LaGrange Grangers in LaGrange, GA. He played collegiately at Eastern Kentucky University and spent three seasons in the NFL. Burks also spent time playing in NFL Europe and the AFL before retiring from football in 2007.
Prior to accepting the head coaching position at his alma mater, Burks was Head Coach and Athletic Director at Lafayette High School (AL). As he prepares for his first year of postseason play, Burks has high hopes to continue to build upon the championship legacy of the traditional Georgia football powerhouse. He’s been married to his wife Patricia for 18 years and they have four kids: Kennedy (15), DJ (12), Payton (9), and Kameron (3).
When you’re developing talent, what are some of the intangibles that you look for and why?
Some of the intangibles I look for are work ethic, discipline, and leadership. I’m looking for the qualities that turn good players into great players. I want the young man that’s willing to stay after practice and catch balls, work on technique, and do the little things that others won’t do. Having that type of work ethic and discipline will make them great on the field, but also in the classroom and life. I want our players to focus on developing into great men and it starts with being disciplined in their everyday tasks, having the desire to outwork the person next to them, and believing that they can achieve anything they put their mind to.
What are the characteristics of a successful student-athlete, on and off the field?
A lot of our kids come from single parent households and don’t necessarily know what a successful man looks like. Therefore, before I even get into football I try to teach them what qualities and attributes successful men possess. To do so, I created a program in which I pair up each player with successful professionals in the community and have them complete a job shadow. They have to pick out a profession they want to pursue, find a successful person within that profession and follow their every move over a working day so they have a realistic view of what the working world is like and what that person does to achieve success. I want them to learn what it means to be accountable, to perform at a high level, and ultimately understand the amount of work it takes to be successful within your job.
How do you and your staff begin developing leadership skills in your student-athletes?
This year we had a really young team, but they’ve matured a lot over the course of the season.
One of the ways we helped our young men develop leadership skills is by meeting with each individual player and identifying areas in which they can grow or lead. Some kids are stronger academically than they are athletically and vice versa, but it’s my job to identify where they can make improvements and where they can lead utilizing their strengths. For example, I recently had a young man who was performing well on the field, but not up to his potential in the classroom. I had to reduce his playing time until he raised his academic performance. He was upset, as you would expect, but it took losing the ability to lead on the field with his play to realize that he really needed to lead in the classroom, which he was more than capable of doing and most important.
What is something every incoming freshman should know as they transition into high school athletics?
Every freshman should have a clear understanding of what it takes to succeed at this level. To achieve that, I pair our incoming freshman up with upperclassmen to help with the transition. The upper classmen are responsible for showing the freshman how to handle the new academic and athleticchallenges that come with being in high school. We work to empower the leaders on our team and expect them to set a good example for those who will follow in their footsteps.We hold the seniors and juniors to a high standard when it comes to conduct and performance and we hope to inspire the underclassman to follow their lead.
How do you create a healthy culture within your locker room?
This is my first season as a Head Coach for my Alma Mater so it’s critical to establish a healthy locker room culture from the start. I made sure that I set clear goals and values for our football program from Day 1. We ensure that the players understand the expectations they are being held accountable to and what they are playing for. We place emphasis on the team operating as a family and how this is not only about individuals being accountable to themselves, but also to each other.
If the locker is dirty, everyone has to run. If a group of players is misrepresenting the team in the classroom or the community, we all will be held accountable because this is a family and we’re all a reflection of each other. I want players to understand that we have a tradition of being a successful football program and producing great young men. With that culture and mindset we can build a legacy that will last for a long time.
How have you seen the student-athlete experience change over the years?
I’ve seen media and technology make a huge impact on the student-athlete experience in comparison to when I was coming up. Kids are more in need of validation now both athletically and socially so they can feel relevant or accomplished. With recruiting being so publicized through Signing Day broadcasts and recruiting rankings, it makes athletes more conscious of promoting themselves and utilizing the social media/internet tools to their advantage. This also can be a distraction or detriment to student athlete’s brand/perception if not used properly.