Published: November 21, 2008 10:59 am         

On the same wavelength

Gilley, Burton back to where they began

Blake Burton and John Gilley not only share a house together, but almost the same mind.

There are times when Burton will go to say something, yet Gilley will beat him to the punch with the exact same thought.

“It’s scary sometimes,” Burton said. “We’ll just be sitting in our living room, watching TV, and he’ll say something. I won’t say it, but in my mind, I’m thinking, ‘That’s the exact same thing I was about to say.’”

Burton and Gilley share a bond that coaches just hope catches on through the rest of the team.

It’s not like they haven’t had time to work on it either.

The teammates entered Texas State together, back in 2004. Burton, a fullback, and Gilley, then a defensive lineman, were recruited by former Bobcat head coach David Bailiff.

From the beginning, it was only natural that Burton and Gilley bonded, since they roomed together as freshmen. Burton was redshirted, but Gilley played, giving them each a different perspective on the game.

“I wouldn’t travel with the team, so when John came back, I would just ask him about how it was,” Burton said. “All I could do was just learn from practice and then hope my shot came the next year.”

Burton’s chance did arrive, as he was rostered for the first time in 2005. It was a special year for Texas State, as it was ranked among the top-10 teams in the Football Championship Subdivision and advanced to the semifinals of the playoffs.

Graduation led to both players getting ample opportunities the next season as the depth chart thinned. Not only would the new season give them more playing time, but it moved Gilley to a new position.

“They officially moved me to tight end in the spring of ‘06,” Gilley said. “Learning the offense was tough, but I’ve always been a defensive player. It’s hard to learn to be an offensive player, because for me it was a completely different mindset.”

Gilley wouldn’t be knocking down passes, rather, he would be trying to catch them. He struggled, because he didn’t have the best hands, but kept working at it during each practice.

His perseverance paid off, as he was named starting tight end going into the 2007 season. Gilley caught a pass in his first game, but it would be his only catch of the season — he severely shattered his ankle a few plays later.

Gilley had his doubts about his playing future, but after going through rehab and buckets of sweat, he found his way back on the field.

Burton and Gilley are now both irreplaceable members of the Bobcat offense. While both players don’t get their fill of the stat sheet, they do more for the team between the lines.

“Stats don’t speak anything close to how important they are to this football team,” Texas State head coach Brad Wright said.

The former clears the way through the line for Karrington Bush and Stan Zwinggi. Burton loves blocking and finds as much pleasure out of laying a big hit as he does scoring a touchdown (which he has done six times this season).

Gilley anchors the strong side of the line for Texas State and as a former defensive player, loves hitting. He’s reeled in nine catches this season, but none more important than his first career touchdown catch against Nicholls State.

“He’s been waiting for that ever since he’s been a tight end,” Gilley said. “I was pretty excited for him, probably more excited than if I had scored a touchdown.”

Five years after their journey began, it almost revolves full circle.

Last season, Burton got a chance to play, while Gilley sat at home, waiting to hear tales from the games. Now, both players are on the field together, with a Southland Conference championship on the line when the Bobcats play Sam Houston State on Saturday.

Should Texas State beat the Bearkats in Huntsville, it will advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

“John and I been talking about this a lot,” Burton said. “Once we win this game, I feel like the sky’s the limit for us. I have a good feeling about going on and playing in the playoffs. I mean, we’ve got to get through this game first, it’s going to be tough, but I just have a good feeling it won’t end on Saturday.”

     

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