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Tom Burke (American football)

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Tom Burke
No. 95
Position:Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1976-10-12) October 12, 1976 (age 47)
Poplar, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:275 lb (125 kg)
Career information
High school:Northwestern (Maple, Wisconsin)
College:Wisconsin
NFL draft:1999 / round: 3 / pick: 83
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:36
Games started:12
Tackles:49
Sacks:4.5
Fumbles recovered:1
Player stats at PFR

Thomas Allen Burke (born October 12, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers, earning unanimous All-American honors in 1998. During the 1997–1998 season, Burke led all college football with 22 sacks and 31 total tackles for loss while helping Wisconsin to a Rose Bowl victory and #5 overall ranking. He was chosen in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Cardinals and played all four years of his NFL career with Arizona.

Early life

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Burke was born in Poplar, Wisconsin.[1] He attended Northwestern High School in nearby Maple, Wisconsin,[2] and played for the Northwestern Tigers high school football team, of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), Heart O' North Conference.

College career

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Burke attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and played for the Wisconsin Badgers football team from 1995 to 1998. As a senior in 1998, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and received the Bill Willis Trophy. He holds the Big Ten record for most sacks in a single season with 22.[3]

Professional career

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The Arizona Cardinals selected Burke in the third round (83rd pick overall) of the 1999 NFL draft, and he played for the Cardinals from 1999 to 2002.[4][5] In four NFL seasons, he appeared in 36 games, started 12, and accumulated 49 tackles and 4.5 sacks.[1]

Arrest

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On June 15, 2021, Burke was arrested in Wisconsin for allegedly sexually assaulting a seven year old girl in St. Louis County, Minnesota. The report states he performed oral sex on the child on several occasions. On January 29, 2024, a Duluth, Minnesota jury acquitted Burke of the charges.

References

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  1. ^ a b Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Tom Burke. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  2. ^ databaseFootball.com, Players, Tom Burke Archived 2011-11-22 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  3. ^ "Young returns to Buckeyes and sets school mark". November 23, 2019.
  4. ^ "1999 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  5. ^ National Football League, Historical Players, Tom Burke. Retrieved January 28, 2012.