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August 11, 2022

Forever Grateful | Burnham Suits Up In Game 100

BC Lions' Bryan Burnham, left, is brought down by Calgary Stampeders' Raheem Wilson during first half CFL football action in Calgary, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

With teammate T.J. Lee recently achieving the same milestone and reminding him about the upcoming game, Bryan Burnham is well-aware of his 100th appearance for the BC Lions. As humble as a player Burnham is, the club’s fourth all-time leader in receiving yards has been tracking all his career milestones all along. He is forever grateful for the latest milestone.

Last Saturday against the Edmonton Elks, following a first-quarter reception, Burnham had surpassed Mervyn Fernandez on the Lions’ all-time receiving yards leaderboard with 6,764 yards.

“It’s been a crazy journey. It’s not one that I had really planned out. I just wanted to play football to keep the NFL dream alive and fulfil that childhood dream. Then I found a home in B.C., it’s crazy to think that it’s 2022 right now. I just wake up grateful, fortunate to still be doing it for the BC Lions,” Burnham said.

“I fulfilled my dream of playing professional football. I remember being a young guy hearing guys playing their 100th game, I’m just sitting here like, I’m nowhere close to being something like that. Now I’m here, it’s pretty special.”

As he embarks on career game number 100 with the only team he has ever known, Bryan Burnham remains forever grateful to do his job.

Photo by Paul Yates

From college to a seasoned vet in the CFL, Burnham has dealt with all sorts of adversity, he’s seen it all. There was a time that one of his coaches in college told him to switch to a defensive back and another time when he didn’t have a choice but to put on number 74 as a young receiver at training camp. Through the peaks and valleys, Burnham is now a household name in the CFL and a leader for the Lions.

Throughout the journey, Burnham mentioned the people he has been accompanied by while he stays on top of his game.

“Just thankful for my family for their continued support through all these years. Thankful for my wife over everything because she’s battled through so much to allow me to pursue my dream,” Burnham said.

Burnham has illustrated his loyalty to the Lions in uniforms over his eight seasons so far, living through the wins and losses with the team. Because of that, the bonds he created with everyone in the Lions organization have flourished over time. From the club’s athletic therapists like Tristan Sandhu and Chris Wong to the equipment department of Aaron Yeung and Brent Frid, who have all impacted Burnham along the way.

“I joke around with Chris all the time. The Formula 1 fans would get it. Chris is like the Angela to my Lewis Hamilton. We’re not only good friends but he takes care of me professionally. Aaron has always taken care of me. Tristan has been here since I’ve been here. A lot of love and appreciation for these people and all the work they put in,” Burnham said.

“I’m the type of guy that likes to sit back and observe. I see the amount of work that Brent puts in every day. When I’m getting in my car about to go home, Brent is out here cleaning equipment and getting things ready for tomorrow. These people don’t get enough appreciation they deserve. As much as on the field matters, what happens behind the scenes is what helps us win football games.”

As he embarks on career game number 100 with the only team he has ever known, Bryan Burnham remains forever grateful to do his job.

Photo by Nik Kowalski

Burnham came off the six-game injured list last Saturday against the Elks and comfortably hauled in six catches for 82 yards and one touchdown. It’s a season the Lions have envisioned with a 6-1 record heading into Week 10 taking on the Calgary Stampeders.

“It felt great. Just the week leading up, everybody was being careful around me, and I was purposely running into people trying to get them to hit me. Going into the game, after I got flipped on my head, it felt good. As crazy as it sounds,” Burnham recalled his first game back from the hip injury he suffered back in Week 3.

The rest of the Lions have picked up the momentum while Burnham was away. As his fellow receiver, Dominique Rhymes, mentioned during the post-game interview after the Lions chewed the Elks away with a 46-14 win, Rhymes spoke about the presence Burnham brings to the team and setting the standard for all the receivers.

After missing half of the 2021 season due to an ankle injury, Rhymes currently leads the CFL with eight touchdowns. And also can’t forget about Lucky Whitehead and Keon Hatcher, who have been an integral part of the offence.

“I’m proud of the fact that they see me as a leader and they’ve all improved because they were all so good to begin with. Keon coming in and doing his thing, he’s going to be a real bright spot, he’s got a bright future. Dom is doing what we all knew he was capable of. And Lucky, I mean what else can you say about Lucky?” Burnham said.

“Cottoy, he’s special too. He’s someone that I thought was a defensive lineman when the first day I met him, he’s continually improved. It’s been awesome. Scarf [Jacob Scarfone] comes in and gets reps every day at practice. He came up clutch against Saskatchewan, it’s just great to see how we handle business.”

As he embarks on career game number 100 with the only team he has ever known, Bryan Burnham remains forever grateful to do his job.

It’s safe to say the entire team is having a blast on the field as the Lions will continue to battle through divisional matchups in the following weeks against Calgary and Saskatchewan. Now with 16 back on the field for the Lions, he’s going to be pushing for whichever milestone he has in mind and with absolute confidence with this Lions team.

“The thing about this group of receivers is that we can run all the routes. I’m a little bit better,” Burnham chuckled.

“But we can all make tough catches. We can all take the coaching. If we have a 12-yard route, and we run 11 and a half yards, well, we need to do better. We’re all willing to voice our mistakes and coach each other up. I think that’s what makes our group special.”

Forever grateful indeed.