Treylon Burks is the ultimate competitor.
Even at the lake.
Over the Fourth of July holiday weekend near his hometown of Warren, the University of Arkansas freshman wide receiver went fishing with Rison product Malik Chavis, a defensive back.
Burks, who enjoys fishing when he's not playing football, dominated his new UA teammate.
"Malik didn't stand a chance," Burks said. "We caught 25 fish. Well, I caught 20 and he caught five."
Love for fishing aside, Burks is itching to return to the football field after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the fifth week of Warren's 2018 season.
"Not being out there was tough for me," Burks said. "But I was keeping my head on straight."
Burks, who finished his high school career with 151 receptions for 3,403 yards and 43 touchdowns along with one Class 4A state championship, said he's 100% after going through a rehabilitation process that lasted eight months. He said his rehab involved squat jumps, leg pull-ups, sled work, running and conditioning.
[HOG FUTURES: Read full series on newcomers to the UA football team at arkansasonline.com/2019hogs/]
"I've been working hard," Burks said. "I'm running to the best of my ability."
While he has not run a 40-yard dash this summer at Arkansas, Burks' personal-best 40 time is 4.5 seconds.
He said rehab was tough as well as not being able to play with his Warren teammates for the rest of his senior season.
"I kept praying to God. I read the Bible," Burks said. "I wanted to stay humble."
Burks trained with physical therapist Nat Grubbs throughout his rehab process. Warren Coach Bo Hembree credited Grubbs for helping Burks get healthy.
Burks at a glance
CLASS Freshman
POSITION Wide receiver
HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-3, 225 pounds
HOMETOWN Warren
HIGH SCHOOL Warren High School
AGE 19 (born March 23, 2000)
NOTEWORTHY Rated a four-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN. … Four-year starter at wide receiver for Warren. … Finished high school career with 151 receptions for 3,403 yards and 43 touchdowns. … Caught 45 passes for 1,090 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior in 2017, earning a spot on the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps first team. He rushed for 936 yards and 27 touchdowns on 114 carries, and added 4 special teams scores (3 punt returns, 1 kickoff return). … Teammate of Arkansas defensive lineman Marcus Miller at Warren. … Chose Arkansas over Auburn, LSU, Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida State and Michigan, among others.
"He worked extremely hard," Hembree said. "Even the Arkansas coaches were impressed with how he's looked. He's having a really good summer."
Burks was one of the top players in the state at Warren.
Burks -- rated a four-star wide receiver by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN -- chose Arkansas over Auburn, LSU, Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida State and Michigan, among others. He is the fourth Warren wide receiver under Hembree to sign with Arkansas, joining Jarius Wright, Greg Childs and Chris Gragg, who all signed in 2008.
Burks also was one of five in-state signees in the 2019 class, joining Chavis, Warren teammate Marcus Miller (defensive lineman), Pulaski Academy tight end Hudson Henry and Joe T. Robinson defensive lineman Zach Williams.
At Warren, Burks not only played wide receiver but he also performed at quarterback, linebacker and punter along with returning kicks and punts. His versatility was never more evident than during his 2017 junior season.
He caught 45 passes for 1,090 yards and 14 touchdowns, earning a spot on the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps first team. He rushed for 936 yards and 27 touchdowns on 114 carries, and added 4 special teams scores (3 punt returns, 1 kickoff return). On defense, Burks returned three of his five interceptions for touchdowns. Warren advanced to the Class 4A state championship but lost to Arkadelphia at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Burks caught 8 passes for 244 yards and 4 touchdowns and threw 3 touchdown passes last season before his injury.
Hembree praised Burks for his career with the Lumberjacks.
"Treylon was our leader," Hembree said of Burks, who was the first ninth-grader to start for the coach. "He got after it."
Playing at Warren, Burks said, has helped with the transition from high school to college. Warren is a four-time state champion under Hembree since 2000, with titles in 2000, 2001, 2014 and 2016.
"They're similar offenses," Burks said of Warren and Arkansas. "He [Hembree] wanted to move the ball a lot."
Burks said the UA coaches have told him to study the playbook and that playing time is a possibility this fall. He's part of a freshman receiving group that includes other four-star players in Trey Knox, T.Q. Jackson and Shamar Nash.
But Burks and his fellow classmates have a big-picture goal in mind after the Razorbacks finished 2-10 last season.
"We want to turn the program around," he said.
Sports on 07/15/2019