Blue-Grey Football Alumni Update: Spencer Burford

Notre Dame alum Julian Love (left), Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes (middle) and UTSA alum Spencer Burford (right) are among many past participants of the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl.

Plenty of prospects, some of them high-profile, others under-the-radar, have come and gone in the past decade or so, since the inception of the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl. Still, the talent level across the board on the national scene has been about as good as it gets.

Things don’t figure to change anytime soon, as the hype continues to build and build for this year’s games: Dec. 20 at Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, with an encore at the same venue Jan. 10, also another one Jan. 31 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium.

To gain a better understanding about the rapidly growing direction of things, perhaps now it’s best to take some time to reflect on the humble beginnings. Therefore, moving forward, the plan is to more closely examine the brand’s many alumni from all over the country.

Spencer Burford from Wagner (TX) takes center stage in this space. As a member of the Class of 2018, he opened plenty of eyes while working up front and thus emerged on the national radar as a result of the effort as East defeated West, 28-17, at AT&T Stadium.

There was no shortage of talent during the recruiting cycle. Worth mentioning, other game participants included Michigan State commit Jarrett Horst and San Diego State State commit Keyshawn Banks. It was a good year for lineman, on both sides of the ball too.

Ever since, the attention has remained. The limelight did not bother Burford, either. The 6-foot-5 and 295-pound senior offensive lineman has adjusted to life well at UTSA and will take the field against North Texas on Nov. 27 in a Conference USA game at 4 p.m. (EST).

Burford started every game this season and appears more than poised to earn All-Conference honors, likely when the awards later this year. As a junior and sophomore, he started for the Roadrunners. As a freshman, earning a spot in the rotation wasn’t a problem.

Given his past, the future is bright. An invite to the NFL Scouting Combine seems to be a foregone conclusion. He figures to be selected in the first few rounds of the NFL Draft. Don’t forget, a few years back, Burford was in action at the brand’s All-American Bowl in Texas.