Alexandria City High School football legend Keith Burns’ name was immortalized last Friday (Oct. 16).
The field at Alexandria City High School’s Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium was renamed in honor of the 1990 graduate. Flanked by city and school leaders, Burns thanked his friends and family and said that he hopes to serve as an example.
“If I can do it, there’s always the possibility that you can do it, because I came from the same streets that you’re coming from,” Burns said. “Alexandria is a special place. You need to know if I can make it from here, anybody can make it from here.”
Burns was a member of the back-to-back Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos in 1997 and 1998, and wore a championship ring at the field dedication. He was an NFL linebacker for 13 seasons, and coached with the Broncos and the Washington Redskins. He also founded the Keith Burns Foundation nearly 30 years ago, donating backpacks, holiday gifts, children’s coats and more than 5,000 Thanksgiving baskets for local families.
Burns was congratulated by two other ACHS graduates, School Board Chair Christopher Harris and Interim Superintendent Grace Taylor.
“I personally have had the pleasure of watching Keith in high school, college and the pros,” Harris said. “There is not a better man that this field can be named after.”
Taylor said that Burns took the determination that was cultivated on that very field, and adapted into a successful life.
“For years to come, the Keith Burns Field will inspire Alexandria city public school students just as Mr. Burns has inspired others by his lifetime achievements,” Taylor said. “Mr. Burns exemplifies [that] when you do the work, everything is possible.”
