Athlete – Football
Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Cornell Burbage Sr. took after his three older, athletically-talented brothers, Randell, Steven, and Phillip Burbage, by playing multiple sports including baseball, basketball, track, and football. With the grace of his loving wife, Alicia R. Burbage, Cornell’s athletic family lineage extended to his three sons: Cornell II, Jalen, and Jeremiah.
Cornell’s athletic story begins with him being an annual Little League Baseball All-Star and Fayette County Parks and Recreation football standout. With great speed and a veracity on the field of play, Cornell extended his success to junior high school as a knighted Warrior of Winburn Junior High School and an honored Defender of Bryan Station Senior High School, where he won two state track championships while setting and sharing record times in the 100 meter dash, the 4×100 meter relay, and he held the state record for the 4×200 meter relay. He would share track MVP honors with his long-time childhood teammates, Dermontti Dawson and Marc Logan. Cornell was recognized as an All-City track and football honoree each year he was in high school and was a statewide standout among his peers, leading his high school team in interceptions, interceptions for TDs (pick-sixes), pass break-ups, receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and tackles in the secondary.
Not only an athlete but also an academician, Cornell kept a stellar grade point average while participating in sports and even graduating from the University Kentucky in Mathematical Science while playing with multiple stars including his childhood mentor, George Adams. Cornell was voted Most Valuable Senior in 1986 for the University of Kentucky while leading the team in receiving yards, catches, kick return yards, and punt return yards.
Cornell entered the National Football League in 1987 playing for the great Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson of the Dallas Cowboys. During his stint in the NFL, he placed second in the NFC in kickoff return yards along with winning weekly special teams awards before entering the World League of American Football. There he played for the visionary architect of the Run-n-Shoot offense, the legendary Darrel “Mouse” Davis. While in the WLAF, Burbage led in kickoff return average and set the record for the longest kickoff return for a touchdown. Cornell continued his playing career in the Canadian Football League, where he also led the league in kickoff return yards before ending his playing career.
Soon afterward, Cornell began his coaching career at Paul Laurence Dunbar, where he served as offensive coordinator while assisting the team in becoming 1996 state runners-up. Three years later, Cornell assisted his alma mater, Bryan Station High School, to a record-breaking 1999 season, ending as state runners-up. In 2004, Cornell was named head football coach of Kentucky State University, posting a 7-4 record. He later became Recreation Manager for Lexington Parks and Recrecreation while continuing to serve as record-breaking high school skill coach. Cornell’s coaching, training, and mentoring includes a long list of multiple student athletes, including a host of Lexington-based NFL players, business owners, educators, social work advocates, public service workers, lawyers, doctors, and engineers.
