Dale Burnett

During the early years of the National Football League (NFL), talent scouting was a highly inexact science, with extremely limited staff sizes and travel budgets. Dale Burnett's door-opening connection with the New York Football Giants of the NFL was a former teammate, Glenn "Slim" Campbell.^[8] Campbell, who was a rookie end for Giants in 1929, convinced team general manager and coach Leroy Andrews that the athletic Burnett was capable of playing on the professional circuit.^[8] The team was intrigued enough to bring him to New York City for a look.

Weighing in at 185 pounds, Burnett was regarded as ineffective plunging the line from the backfield, but was rated as a superior punter and defensive back, with capable passing skills on the offensive side of the ball.^[8] Barnett signed a contract with the Giants in the middle of March 1930 (there being no player draft in this era), and was scheduled to report for training camp September 1.^[8]

The Giants in this era had a roster disproportionately weighted towards players like Burnett and Campbell from small colleges, following the theory that such athletes were toughened up rigor of needing to play a full 60 minute game, whereas players from large schools typically played only one quarter per half before being removed for substitutes.^[10] The pair did charity work on behalf of the Giants organizations, participating as part of a six-man contingent to Sing Sing state penitentiary in November 1931 to serve as a coaches on intramural football teams being organized among inmates.^[11]

Although touchdowns were tracked — Burnett scored 6 and 3 in his first two seasons, respectively — it was not until 1932 that the NFL began compiling and publishing playing statistics, so specifics of Burnett's 1930 and 1931 performance are lost. During his subsequent eight years in the league he seems to have been used primarily as a blocker and pass receiver out of the backfield, carrying the ball just 79 times in 87 games played.^[1] His most productive year as a receiver came in 1936, when he snared 16 balls for 246 yards and 3 touchdowns in 12 games played.^[1]

Burnett was twice an NFL Champion, with the Giants winning the league's "Championship Play-off" in 1934 and 1936. In the 1934 Championship, the legendary "sneakers game" won by the Giants 30–13 over the Chicago Bears, Burnett started at left halfback and was part of the team's ineffectual ground game on a frozen, icy Polo Grounds field.^[12] In the 1938 Championship Game, also played in New York, Burnett came off the bench in a reserve role, behind starting halfbacks Hank Soar and Ward Cuff.^[13]

At the time of his retirement at the end of the 1939 season, Burnett stood as the all-time leading scorer in Giants history,^[4] with 166 total points scored.^[1] His 25 touchdowns also stood at that time as a franchise best.^[4]

During his NFL career Burnett lived in the off-season in Earle, Arkansas, where he operated a general store and farmed cotton.^[4] He later made a career as an office manager for the Kansas State Employment Service.^[14]

He and his wife Claralee raised three children — two boys and a girl.^[14]

Dale Burnett died April 17, 1997, in Emporia, Kansas. He was 89 years old at the time of his death.