Burleson Gets Serious -- Nate Burleson Leaves O'dea Teammates Laughing, But The Funny Stuff Stops On The Football Field, Where The Fighting Irish Receiver Is A Serious Threat.

Nate Burleson always got by. He was fast enough to outrun cornerbacks, quick enough to beat point guards off the dribble, smart enough to pass his classes at O'Dea High School. And in tight situations, he could slay anyone with a joke.

It wasn't until last year, after the Fighting Irish had been eliminated from the Class 3A football playoffs, that Burleson realized he could do more than get by.

"After we lost, some of the seniors were crying after the game and saying it's not supposed to happen this way this year," Burleson said.

He had always loved listening to his father, former Husky Al Burleson, tell of winning the California high-school football championship. But Nate Burleson didn't want to listen forever.

"I want to tell my kids that I went to O'Dea, class of '99, and we won a state championship," he said.

So the O'Dea team comedian pointed to his senior year. He started his transformation a few months early.

"I saw a better work ethic from him during (spring) track season," O'Dea wide receivers coach Larry Jackson said. "When I saw that, I said, `OK, he's going to be dedicated during football season.' "

So dedicated that over the summer, Burleson coined a football team motto: If better is possible, good is not enough.

The Irish (9-0) will learn how much better they have gotten tonight at Memorial Stadium, when they meet White River at 7:30 in a first-round state-playoff game.

"He says he doesn't like it anymore if I hit him in the numbers," Irish quarterback Joe Brazier said. "He likes to go up and make it harder so he doesn't forget what it takes."

He is nothing like his old self, yet still the same Nate Burleson. The only thing quicker than his feet are his one-liners.

"He'll say, `Have you heard about the new movie?' " Brazier said, "and then flex his arm and say, `Lethal Weapon 5.' "

At 6 feet 1, 165 pounds, Burleson doesn't win many weightlifting competitions. He gets hoots from teammates in the locker room, but nicknames like "bird chest" only give him more ammunition.

"He flexes and comes back with a joke," senior safety Rigael Drake said. "He'll say, `Don't hate me just because my muscles are bigger.' "

His sense of humor helps Burleson stay entertained everywhere - in the weight room, on the bus, even in class.

But he is more serious this fall about his performance in school. He earned a 3.6 grade-point average for the first quarter, well above his sophomore- and junior-year range, he said.

On the field, Burleson averages more than 20 yards per catch and has scored on half of his 14 receptions. On a passing team, he might post all-state numbers. Seattle Prep Coach Rollie Robbins said Burleson has better hands than any O'Dea receiver he can remember, and that the only way Prep could defend the speedster was to move its cornerbacks 10 yards off the line of scrimmage.

After football season ends, Burleson will play guard for the O'Dea basketball team. His brother Kevin is a freshman guard at the University of Minnesota, and brother Alvin is a senior defensive back at Washington.

Nate Burleson has received interest from the University of Wisconsin for both sports, and from the UW, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho for football. He said he hopes to play both sports in college, but that if he must choose one, he will pick football.

For now, he is trying to create stories that can compete with his father's. "We always talk about, `My team right now could beat your team back in high school,' " Nate Burleson said.

He can't prove that claim, but with his new attitude, Nate Burleson may soon match his father's high-school achievement.