DB Burrell “working like a dog”

Trio of OUA schools early leaders for Bulldogs standout.

Safety Phonarlen Burrell can truly call himself a “Bulldog.”

Phonarlen Burrell

Positions:
Defensive BAck, Safety

Height/Weight:
6’0, 160lbs

Teams:
St. Augustine Titans (high school: YRAA)
Brampton Bulldogs (junior varsity: OVFL)

Commitment:
None

Official Visits:
None

Consideration:
Western, McMaster, Guelph, Open

Class:
2018

What does Dragon Ball Z, a hard work ethic and football have in common? Nothing. But those are just a few of the things that sum up young defensive star Phonarlen Burrell.

Phonarlen first stepped onto the field at the age of 12 and has since played three seasons with the Brampton Bulldogs of the Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL) as well as one season with St. Augustine Titans of the York Region Athletic Association (YRAA). He has been an OVFL All-Star for the past two seasons.

For Phonarlen, the goal is simple: go to school, stay focused and do the best he can. The training? Not so easy.

The all-star usually trains with coaches and in the summer, his routine consists of a light warm-up jog, exercises and stretches, 20 yard sprints, footwork and drills, and then 1-on-1’s and a short scrimmage.

Is he tired yet? Not at all and the safety isn’t ready to slow down yet.

“I’m always trying to improve on my skills,” says Phonarlen.  “Whenever I get the change to train, I do it and thankfully I have coaches who are willing to help me.”

He s a hard-working individual who loves the sport. He’s a student of the game who constantly watches the NFL network and highlights of different players, may it be high school, college, or pro. Through his determination and admiration for the sport, he understands he cannot take anything for granted.

The young player learned this lesson from free safety Tyrann Mathieu, a former star player at LSU. Mathieu’s story goes something like this: top prospect makes a big mistake and has to work hard to get back to the top. He was eventually picked in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals.

“He (Mathieu) taught me that no matter how good of a player you are all of it can be taken away from you easily,” Phonarlen says.

As for the hard-work ethic, that is something he picked up from his parents. His mom and dad are immigrants from Jamaica who have worked hard for everything they have. “They both have jobs they hate and are always telling me to get a good education so I can get a high paying job in any field of work I wish to enter,” Burrell added.

While the standout hasn’t done any official school visits yet, he has been scouted by Queen’s University. The recruiting process has been slow he says because he hasn’t had a change to put out a highlight tape yet. But he is working on gathering his film to create one soon.

However, this minor setback hasn’t done put a damper on his spirit.

“To improve this season I’m just going to keep training, because hard work pays off,” Phonarlen.  “If you’re not willing to put in the work then you’re not going to get any better.”