Jermaine Burton has lived off his “potential” throughout his football career but has yet to realize it. Will he ever do so in the NFL? The talent is there, but off-field decisions have made it difficult for him to see the field consistently.
Where Did Jermaine Burton Go to College?
After playing at three high schools, earning back-to-back The Opening Finals invites, playing in the 2020 Under Armour All-America Game, and boasting a four-star recruit training, Burton accepted a scholarship from the Georgia Bulldogs.
Despite spending several years at Florida’s IMG Academy and California’s Calabasas High School, Burton is originally from Atlanta, making the decision a bit of a homecoming.
He started seven games as a true freshman, finishing with 27 catches for 404 yards. While not astronomical numbers, they highlighted his potential, especially with 197 of those yards coming in one game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs — the fourth-highest single-game total in program history.
The 2021 season was a near-repeat performance: 26 receptions, 497 yards, and five touchdowns. Individually, it wasn’t Burton’s best season. However, the Dawgs reached the pinnacle of the sport, winning the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Yet, the team’s success wasn’t enough to keep Burton in Athens, as he sought a greater workload elsewhere. That elsewhere turned out to be Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide.
In his first campaign with the program, Burton landed on the Biletnikoff Award watch list and posted a 40-677-7 receiving line. But he saved his best for last, ranking sixth nationally with a 20.5 yards-per-catch average and leading the Crimson Tide with 798 yards and eight TDs.
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But Burton’s breakout performance featured a black eye. Following an upset loss at the hands of the Tennessee Volunteers, Burton is seen striking a woman in the head as fans stormed the field. He did not address the incident until after ALabama’s Sugar Bowl win over the Kansas State Wildcats.
“That whole situation, it was a mistake,” Burton said, per the Knoxville News Sentinel. “I can’t hold that against myself forever. But a mistake is a mistake. You move past it. I’m not going to let the situation frame me as a person or shape me as a person because I know who I am, and my team knows who I am.”
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Burton with the 80th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and head coach Zac Taylor was quick to address the situation.
“It was something that we talked about with him,” Taylor said. “Just just to hear what he had to say about it. And again, we did our research on all these guys that we talked to and made sure we’re aware of every incident they’ve been part of. There’s certainly maturity things that come with some of these guys coming out of these colleges, and that’s one of the things he’ll continue to grow with.”
Speaking of “maturity,” Burton’s last collegiate head coach, Saban, discussed his primary concern with the WR’s ability to translate to the NFL.
“The No. 1 thing that he needs to do, I think emotional maturity is the best way to say it,” Saban said following the Bengals’ selection. “Do the right things all the time … You gotta do the right things in your life all the time so that you can do the best things that you can do on the field and be the best you can be.”
Unfortunately, Burton has seemingly failed to heed Saban’s advice in his rookie season. The 23-year-old was a healthy scratch for Cincinnati’s Week 9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders after reportedly posting an unexcused absence from the team’s final walkthrough.
Then, on Friday, Jan. 3, the Bengals announced Burton would not travel with the team to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season finale due to a “coach’s decision.” According to publicly available court documents, Burton is facing an eviction notice from his apartment and a civil suit for $2,506.33.
Radius Acquistion LLC filed eviction paperwork in Hamilton County Municipal Court on Christmas Eve, stating it gave Burton a three-day notice to vacate his Freedom Way apartment on Dec. 17. However, Burton did not comply.
Burton’s football story remains one of untapped potential, where flashes of brilliance continue to be overshadowed by off-field missteps. Time will tell if he’s able to bounce back, but the time is clicking on his NFL clock.
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