Willie Burden Willie Burden ( born July 21 , 1951 ) is a former professional Canadian football player with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League and is currently an academic and sports administrator . Burden , a running back , was made a member of the Calgary Stampeder ' s Wall of Fame in 1992 , and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2001 . In 2006 , Burden was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL ' s top 50 players of the league ' s modern era by Canadian sports network TSN . College career . Following an outstanding high school football career at Raleigh ' s Enloe High School , Burden attended North Carolina State University , where he played from 1971 to 1973 on scholarship . He rushed for 2 , 529 yards , 7th best in Wolfpack history . He was the 1973 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Player of the Year . He graduated with a bachelor ' s degree in Economics . Following graduation , Burden was drafted twice in 1974 , by the NFL ' s Detroit Lions in the 6th round ( 139th overall ) and by the World Football League ' s Portland Storm , in the 17th round ( 198 overall . ) Regardless , Canada would be his eventual professional football destination . Professional football career . The Calgary Stampeders would be Burden ' s home for eight seasons , between 1974 and 1981 . He thrilled fans in his first season , rushing for 541 yards on 94 carries , but it was in his second season that he broke team and league records . He set a new CFL single season rushing record , running 332 times for 1896 yards . He also set a CFL record with 2 , 127 yards from scrimmage and led the league with 2 , 387 all - purpose yards and 15 total touchdowns . His best day was November 2 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers , when he tied Lovell Coleman ' s team record of 238 yards in a game . Burden was rewarded with the CFL ' s Most Outstanding Player Award and All Canadian All Star honours in 1975 . Burden was also named an All West All Star in 1977 . Upon his retirement , Burden had rushed for 6 , 234 yards , fifth best in Stampeders history after Kelvin Anderson , Earl Lunsford , Lovell Coleman and Joffrey Reynolds . He has since received many honours . His jersey number # 10 was retired by the Stamps in 1982 . He was added to their Wall of Fame in 1992 , and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2001 . He played at 5 foot 10 inches and a bruising 218 pounds and is remembered fondly in Canada . Post - football career . Burden ' s post pro football life has been equally successful . He received his master ' s degree in sports administration from Ohio University while working as an assistant football coach and instructor in the Department of Physical Education and Recreation . From 1984 to 1988 he served as Assistant Athletics Director at Tennessee Technological University while working on his doctorate in education at Tennessee State University ( Ed . D ) which he received in 1990 . In 1988 , Burden returned to Ohio University to serve as Assistant Athletic Director . In 1990 , he became the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Instructor of Health and Physical Education for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University . Presently he is an Associate Professor in Sports Management at Georgia Southern University . His research has been published in several academic journals . In 2005 Burden received another special honour , being inducted into Hall of Fame for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America of Raleigh , North Carolina , for his lifetime of good works . Burden currently resides in Statesboro , Georgia , with his wife , Velma , and children Willie , Jr . and Freddie . He also has a grown daughter , Courtney .