PRAIRIE GROVE -- Prairie Grove senior Dustin Burton has been named Linebacker of the Year by the Northwest Arkansas Touchdown Club. During his senior season, Burton recorded 126 tackles, two interceptions and forced four fumbles while leading the Tiger defense from his middle linebacker position.
According to Prairie Grove head football coach Danny Abshier, when Burton's name was announced during a Jan. 11 banquet, the emcee proclaimed, "Dustin personifies a linebacker. If you say linebacker, you can look at Dustin. If he's not a linebacker, no one else is."
Abshier referred to the oft-repeated phrase, "Defense wins championships."
"If the other team doesn't score, they don't win," Abshier said, explaining, "That's kind of Dustin's philosophy the way he plays. He really likes to hit."
Prairie Grove defensive coordinator Craig Laird said Burton is the type of player you don't want to blitz because that would hurt the team by taking away his ability to find the ball.
"Let him play," Laird said. "He's the guy you want in the trenches with you in a fight cause you're going to win and you might not even have to get your hands dirty."
"When you get mad at him, you can't stay mad. He's got that tough, outer exterior, but he's real coachable."
Sports on 01/17/2018