National Football Foundation

A leader on and off the field, Tom Burns built a stellar reputation at the University of Virginia, establishing himself as one of the greatest student-athletes to ever attend the school founded by Thomas Jefferson.

A two-year starter at linebacker and four-year performer, Burns became one of Virginia's all-time leading tacklers, with 200 career stops, placing him 15th on the Cavalier all-time roster at the time of his graduation. A Third Team All-ACC selection, Burns notched a career-high 90 tackles as a senior, amassing double-digit tackles in five contests. Virginia tallied a 30-16-1 record during his four seasons with the Cavaliers.

Majoring in nuclear engineering, he compiled a 3.92 GPA and was twice named a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American. His many academic accolades during his senior year include the Woody Hayes National Scholar Athlete Award, the Jim Tatum Award and the ACC's Weaver-James Post-Graduate Award. As a junior, Burns won the University of Virginia's Gray-Carrington Scholarship Award, given each year to a Virginia student who excels in areas of personal integrity, achievement, leadership and humility.

After finishing his football career, Burns received a joint bachelor's/master's degree in 1995 and a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering in 1999 from Virginia. Burns then began his career as an executive for MPR Associates, a consulting firm. The Clinton, Md., native became one of the youngest vice presidents at Parsons Corporation, where he currently serves as Vice President-SPWF Director of Engineering for Government Services. 

Click here to view gallery