THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 30, 1994 TAG: 9409300650
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
There are unique names.
Then there is Plaxico Burress.
He was named after an uncle, but is unsure of the name's origins. He's well aware, however, of the many ways it can be butchered by good-natured friends and the unwitting.
``Texaco, Flexico, Flaxico and Fly by Airmail to Mexico. I hear it all. And everybody messes it up,'' said Burress, Green Run High's standout wide receiver.
College recruiters beware. You might want to start getting his name right, particularly the coach who addressed a recruiting pitch to Flexico Borris.
Burress, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound junior speedster, is on course to break the Beach District's record for career receptions and shatter the district mark for reception yardage.
He has eight catches for 233 yards and three touchdowns this season after grabbing 32 passes for 676 yards and seven TDs last year. His career totals are 43 catches for 922 yards.
The Beach District records are 103 catches and 1,276 yards by First Colonial's Nathan Thomas from 1990 to 1992.
Burress is one of many reasons the Stallions are 3-0 and ranked No. 2 in South Hampton Roads heading into tonight's showdown with defending district champion First Colonial.
If the Stallions are to snap their six-game losing streak against the Patriots, Burress will have to come up big.
``He's taller than all the defensive backs, has the speed of a tailback, has big hands and he can jump,'' said Green Run quarterback Glenwood Ferebee. ``A lot of passes I throw to him, he has to make a great catch for it to be a reception.
``And he does.''
Burress has grown an inch and added 30 pounds since last season. Once the prey, Burress is now the predator, particularly at his new free safety position.
``Plaxico changed a whole lot from last year,'' Ferebee said. ``He used to be scared to get hit. Now he's doing the hitting. People come over the middle and the next thing they know they're on their back.''
Burress relishes the newfound notoriety and uses his time on defense to vent his offensive frustrations, which can be many.
He is constantly facing defenses designed to stop him.
``So many times I have to beat double coverage just to get a chance to catch a pass, sometimes triple coverage,'' Burress said. ``Plus, with as many weapons as we have on offense, we should score every time we touch the ball. When we don't, I take out my anger on defense.''
If Burress is stronger physically this year, he's also tougher mentally. Despite his enormous athletic gifts, he drifted in and out of many games last year.
``My grandmother used to actually leave,'' Burress said. ``She'd see me getting disgusted out on the field and get up and leave.
``She saw what I was doing. I wouldn't try to jump for passes that weren't right to me and I didn't always play hard. I was immature.''
Green Run coach Cadillac Harris points to first-year assistant coach Quincy Bethea as a key factor in Burress's attitude adjustment.
``They have a great relationship,'' Harris said. ``Quincy played defensive back at Appalachian State and was a great receiver at First Colonial. He knows the ins and outs and Plaxico's picked up on almost everything Quincy's taught him.''
As well as Burress plays football, he still calls basketball his first love.
``When it's something you really love, you work harder at it,'' said Burress, who was a first-team All-Beach District basketball player as a sophomore, averaging 12.1 points and 11 rebounds per game. ``If I have to choose between basketball and football, it would probably be basketball.
``I'm playing center for Green Run, but I think I could play small forward in college. I think I can shoot it well enough. I really think I can play guard. I was a point guard on my junior high team.''
Football coach Harris has seen this mind-set up close before.
``When Keith Goganious was here, he was 6-3 and 245 pounds and wanted to be a basketball player,'' Harris laughed. ``Andre Cason was 5-7 and 150 pounds but wanted to play football.''
Goganious plays linebacker for the Buffalo Bills. Cason is a world-class track star. Both went with the sport that could take them farthest.
``You just have to make the kids recognize where their talents are,'' Harris said. ``All Plaxico has to do is look at what's out there. He's 6-5 and runs a 4.5 in the 40. Look at the NFL's great receivers. Herman Moore, Michael Irvin and Jerry Rice are all considered big receivers. And Plaxico's got those guys by two inches.
``Now, on the other hand, how many 6-5 basketball players are out there?'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by D. Kevin Elliott, Staff
Photo
Plaxico Burress
by CNB