LAX: Colin Burke makes history for Utah after being taken in the MLL draft
It began as a dream for Colin Burke.
As a young lad in Hempstead, New York, Burke spent his youth on lacrosse fields and shagging balls for the then-Long Island Lizards. That's where the dream to play professional lacrosse began.
And now Burke can say he's accomplished it. With the No. 3 overall pick, in the Major League Lacrosse draft, the New York Lizards took Burke — making him the first Ute to ever be drafted into professional lacrosse. The Lizards made sure to get their guy in Burke, trading up by sending a fourth-round pick and midfielder Kevin Crowley to the expansion Philadelphia Barrage in exchange for the No. 3 overall selection.
I was super excited,” Burke told KSL.com. “It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to be a pro lacrosse player. For it to finally happen is awesome.”
Burke arrived at Utah this past season as a graduate transfer from Fairfield where he was named the Colonial Athletic co-player of the year. With only one season to suit up for the Utes, Burke made the most of it when he teamed up with best friend and fellow grad transfer Jimmy Perkins to become one of the deadliest offensive duos in the nation.
“Salt Lake City is an amazing place, and I’m so happy to have had time here,” Burke said. “I always joke with Jimmy that if he doesn’t catch it, I don’t get the assist. I saw the competitive drive that he had in his transfer from Robert Morris to Utah; I think having two senior grad students on one Division I line could do some damage this year.”
Unfortunately Burke and Perkins never found out how good they could be as the season was cut short after six games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In just those six games, Burke ranked among the top-20 nationally with 31 points, including a team-high 16 assists and 15 goals. Most of his assists went to goals scored by Perkins, as the duo were performing as expected in leading Utah to a 3-3 record.
But now Burke will return to his home state and suit for the local team after accomplishing his dream.
“Colin is a very skilled, quick and versatile offensive player,” O’Hara said of Burke. “He plays attack and midfield. He’s really good with either hand. We like him. We had him on our board last year and he decided he was going to go to graduate school. We were fortunate to get him.”