Xplorers' Burnette Spends Time With Kings, Queens, and Knights Every Day

Published on June 18, 2003 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Memphis Xplorers News Release


SOUTHAVEN, Miss.—Xplorers wide receiver Adrian Burnette sizes up his opponent. Should he move to the left? Should he break to the right? As he weighs his next step, he is already thinking about his next three moves.

But Burnette isn't on his home turf. In fact, he's not on turf at all. He is playing a killer game of chess in the Xplorers coaching office against Xplorers offensive lineman/defensive lineman Joseph Crear.

"I like chess because it's never the same game twice," Burnette said. "It's read and react. I'll watch the other person's first two or three moves and see what kind of player they are. But they might make one move and I have to change my whole strategy."

Burnette's obsession with chess is fairly new. About a year ago, he watched a couple of friends play who introduced him to the pieces and the basics of the game. Soon he was spending up to six or seven hours at a time on www.yahoo.com in online chess matches.

"I'm the type of person that if I play something, I've got to win," Burnette said. "If you play me and win, you can't just walk away. You have to play me again."

However, Burnette said he doesn't spend too long in deciding a victory or loss in an individual match.

"The longest match I've ever played was 40 minutes," Burnette said. "Fifteen minutes is plenty of time to maneuver around because as you make a move, you're already thinking three moves ahead."

Burnette said the strategy of chess fascinates him. He also sees similarities between chess and football.

"I feel like it's exactly what football is: your pawns protect the king like your linemen try to protect your quarterback," Burnette said. "It's strategy, reacting to other people's thoughts and actions. There's no way you can cheat at chess. It's your mind against someone else's mind."

BURNETTE'S BACKGROUND

Although Burnette, 24, played football and track in high school in Monroe, La., his sport of choice was basketball. Both of his parents played basketball in high school and college, and his father coached basketball at Burnette's rival high school. He received basketball scholarships to several schools to play point guard, but Burnette felt his strongest position was two guard. He opted instead to take a football scholarship to Tulane, where Tommy Bowden was serving as head coach. Since then, Burnette has attended NFL camps with the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys, in addition to camp with the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League.

Xplorers fans can catch Burnette in action on the field at the Xplorers' next home game against the Tennessee Valley Vipers on July 5th. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at the DeSoto Civic Center, just 15 minutes south of downtown Memphis. For tickets call (662) 280-3737 or go online at www.xplorersaf2.com and use the Ticketmaster link.

XPLORERS AT THE MEMPHIS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

· The Xplorers will attend Memphis Children's Museum's alternative sports day on Thursday, June 18, at 11:30 a.m.

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