Leading by example: SLC POY Burling works hard at his craft

Private QB lessons, new offense changed Burlington senior’s game

 

 

By Mike Ramczyk

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The spectacular, jaw-dropping throws and fancy footwork are no accident.

Burlington senior quarterback Brad Burling, who was named the Southern Lakes Conference Offensive Player of the Year Monday, hasn’t led the Demons to a 6-4 record and their first playoff win in eight years for no reason.

The wide-eyed, friendly Burling, who stands 6-foot-2 with a tall, lean build, beamed with confidence when talking to reporters after Burlington’s 21-20 playoff victory Oct. 24 over Wilmot.

Now, the Demons have a chance to knock off Division 2’s No. 1 ranked team in Greendale Friday night.

Burling, who started most of last season for the 4-5 Demons, has helped turn things around in town thanks to a new system and football culture along with good, old-fashioned hard work in the offseason.

Burlington has won five of six after a 1-3 start, and Burling is perhaps the biggest reason why.

He has thrown for 1,941 yards, ran for 902 and scored a total of 34 touchdowns, including two passing and one rushing in the playoff victory.

Burling has accounted for 75 percent of the Demons’ total yards.

So why has Burling enjoyed this renaissance under center?

The seeds were planted last season, as Burling showed flashes, but an offensive scheme that focused on running out of traditional three-back sets wasn’t allowing the young passer to flourish.

Bob Berezowitz, who coached UW-Whitewater for 29 years and took the Warhawks to their first national title appearance in 2005, has coached Brad the past two seasons on everything from touch on the deep ball to footwork to mental preparedness.

 

Two years of dedication

Starting around the spring of 2013, the two worked out once a week after basketball season up until the beginning of football season.

From March to August, Brad would bring receivers like James Tully and Frankie Hozeska to work on route-running and football skills at Burlington High School and the Next Level training facility in Waukesha, where NFL stars like J.J. Watt still train to this day.

Berezowitz said Tenhagen’s spread offense has fit Burling’s style.

“It was a tough adjustment for Brad to learn a new offense,” Berezowitz said. “But he worked very hard to buy in. He has developed a lot of poise and confidence.

“His determination and willingness to work hard to improve are great.”

Burling said it was tough after last year’s disappointing season.

“We’re good family friends, and he offered to work with me,” Brad said about Berezowitz. “He gives me a lot of confidence and a packet of things to keep in mind. He teaches me to keep a positive mental attitude because last year was hard. This year, we are really staying confident.”

Burling’s numbers leap-frogged from 912 total yards to nearly 3,000 this season. Chalk that up to another year of mental maturity all you want, but it’s clear Burling’s extra time in the weight room and on the field have paid off.

A lack of weight room participation among athletes last year prompted a new offseason regimen in 2014 for the school.

Last summer, Tenhagen along with basketball coach Steve Berezowitz, Bob’s son, helped spearhead a mandatory training routine, three days a week early in the morning.

Anywhere from 70 to 100 athletes attended all summer, including many from the football team.

On top of that, Burling and Bob Berezowitz continually cover all of the little idiosyncrasies of the quarterback position: quick-feet drills, change of direction, pocket presence, different ways to throw the ball, peripheral vision, hip movement, throwing on the run and reading defenses.

Receivers even learned how close to run to the sideline on a deep pass.

It’s this level of detail that has helped Burlington become one of the top passing programs in the state.

In fact, Burling has tossed for the 16th-most yards in the state.

“It’s always good to see him put in all the time and energy to get better but stay within himself,” said Bob Berezowitz, who witnessed Burling’s 250-yard performance last Friday from the bleachers. “I’ve seen him grow throughout the season as a leader.

“Brad leads by example. He’s not one to get on players, but he’ll encourage them to do better next time if they drop a pass. He’s learned there’s a time and place to pick someone up or pat them on the back. He’s gained respect from his teammates.”

 

Tenhagen knows QBs

Tenhagen, whose tutelage helped Delavan-Darien quarterback Jesse Collins win the SLC Player of the Year award in 2013, has done the same thing with Burling this year. Tenhagen’s belief in using a dual-threat quarterback and grooming him from the youth levels through high school has been successful in only a matter of months.

Lucky for Burlington fans, junior Cal Tully figures to continue that trend next year.

Bob Berezowitz, who coached Tenhagen as a receiver at UW-Whitewater, said Steve was the type of player who always had supreme confidence in his abilities.

“Steve prepares Brad well,” Bob Berezowitz said. “He came back home, and what he’s done in only one year is very commendable. Steve has brought in a more open offense. It’s a great way to start out.”

When asked about his success, the humble Burling is quick to credit his head coach.

“We knew Tenhagen would do good things,” he said. “When we started 1-3, we felt terrible because he was doing such a good job as coach. We’re happy we turned it around for him.”

Tenhagen, an impressive 6-foot-4, 215-pound specimen, has caught passes from great passers like Tony Romo and former UW-Whitewater star Randy Borgardt.

But even Tenhagen couldn’t easily describe Burling’s special performance last Friday night, which included two 50-yard completions after neatly scrambling in the backfield to fake out what seemed like the entire Wilmot team.

“When you have Brad in the backfield with the ball in his hands, he’s really done a tremendous job extending plays and finding open receivers.”

Bob Berezowitz adds that Burling doesn’t panic when the team gets behind on the scoreboard. That’s why a matchup with one of the state’s best teams Friday could be more competitive than people think.

“The only people that believe Burlington has a chance is the Demon players and coaches,” he said. “As a team, they truly believe. They don’t give up, even when they’re down.”