SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS

July 16, 2024

Luther Burden III

Missouri Tigers

Press Conference

Q. Luther, what are you trying to do this year that you haven't displayed the last few seasons? You made quite an improvement from your freshman year to your sophomore year. What can you tell us about your quarterback and that special relationship that you have with him?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I could tell you that my quarterback, he's a great player off the field. Me and him has definitely created a better relationship this year. We hang out more than we did last year.

I feel like the trust has grown.

What I'm trying to do this year that I haven't done the first year is win the big National Championship.

Q. Luther, Missouri hasn't played at Kyle Field since 2014, and you guys have that road trip this year. What have you heard about playing in College Station and Kyle Field, and how much are you looking forward to that road trip?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I heard it's a hostile environment. That's pretty much what I heard. I know some players there and stuff. I'm definitely looking forward to playing in front of 100,000 or so. I can't wait.

Q. Brady just earlier mentioned the Kansas State game as a turning point for him personally in terms of his confidence. How did you see that grow over the last off-season? Why do you think that game is such a turning point for him?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I feel like because we was a crazy underdog during that game, we was at home. I feel like his confidence this year is tremendously like way better than it was last year. I can just feel the vibe. I can tell that he's -- he's ready. Like he's extra ready. I'm excited.

Q. How much of a factor has NIL been in Missouri's resurgence, both in terms of keeping local guys like you around the program, but also the creativity in which they've shown not only at just the state level but with the deals they've helped some of you all procure?

LUTHER BURDEN III: It definitely helped with me personally because I wasn't -- I didn't grow up with a lot of money. So definitely, I was grateful to have the opportunity to make -- create my name, image and likeness created and build it actually.

Missouri has helped me build my stuff off the field tremendously. I feel like they're going to do that with every player that comes there.

Q. Coach Drinkwitz was talking about the 2022 loss at Auburn and mentioned you were one of the players really, really affected by it in the aftermath of it. You have Auburn on the schedule again this year. This time the game is going to be at home in October. Is that something you have circled on the schedule?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I've got every game circled on the schedule. My motto is still something to prove. I feel like I have a lot to prove to the rest of the country. I'm definitely looking forward to the Auburn game.

Q. Maybe a tough question for you to answer, but I'm just curious. How do you think about your place in college football among the best players? You had a breakout season last year? You were a five star recruit coming in? Going into your junior year, how do you look at yourself as a player?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I look at myself as a player, I feel like there's still work to do. I've still got a lot to prove once again. I want to show them I'm the best in the country. So I'm going to show up.

Q. After the season you guys had last year, you're not going to catch anybody by surprise, and there are a lot of high expectations heading into this season. How do you guys manage that? Do you like having that kind of high expectations attached to you guys?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I feel like that we just need to take one game at a time. My focus is on Murray State. It's the first game of the season. Everything else is going to play itself out.

Q. Missouri made a pretty concerted effort really last season to get you involved and get you a lot more touches than you had your freshman season. What did that do for your confidence and the offense, do you think?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I feel like it definitely got me going. When I get the ball, I get ready to go. Yeah, it definitely helped build my confidence, getting me the ball early, getting me going. It helped our team tremendously.

Q. Any specific aspects of your game you really wanted to work on this off-season? Anything you wanted to work on going into your next year of college football?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I would say continue to get catches.

Q. How important is it to be involved in the special teams as a starting wide receiver?

LUTHER BURDEN III: It's definitely a huge part of the game. You can win or lose on special teams. So I feel like that I can help us in a tremendous way on special teams.

Most of the times, you get a touchdown on special teams, you 90 percent win the game. So I'm looking forward to getting more touchdowns, especially this year.

Q. How have you seen Brady Cook grow in his time at Missouri? Then just looking at quarterback-receiver combinations in the SEC, how dangerous can you and he be as a combo?

LUTHER BURDEN III: We definitely can be the best duo in the country, I believe. I feel like his confidence has grown tremendously. He just feels more comfortable, so that's very good that he's going to feel comfortable and go out there and do his thing.

Q. What did D.J. Johnson mean to you early in your career before he passed?

LUTHER BURDEN III: He means everything to me. Last year I dedicated that season to him. I miss him very well. He's always going to be my guy.

Q. You lost a great running back to the NFL. Who's going to take that person's place, maybe a committee of running backs?

LUTHER BURDEN III: We have a couple of guys from the portal who can help take that spot. We have guys that's been there, that's been in the offense who can take that spot. It's all up for grabs in the football game.

Q. Just wanted to follow up. When did you meet D.J. originally, and how did he mentor you, especially as a young receiver in St. Louis?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I met him from my dad because him and my dad was way close friends way before I was even thought of. Me and him just kind of grew a relationship. I mean, he just helped me off the field, on the field. He went to the league. He knows how to get there.

He was kind of in the same situation as me. He didn't have a lot of money coming up. He didn't have a lot of role models, being from St. Louis in the projects. I just looked at that as we kind of have the same situation. It's been tough.

Q. Coach mentioned that there were a lot of players on the team really proud to play in St. Louis. What did that mean to get to go home and play in front of that crowd?

LUTHER BURDEN III: It was great, man. I had a lot of family members there that would probably never be to another football game again. Just to be like being able to play at home in college is like crazy. It's a crazy experience. I had a great time. I think I had one of my best games there. So I would love to do it again.

Q. Who are some of the players you watched growing up or some of the players you watch now?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I watched Jameson Williams growing up. I watched Ja'Marr Chase. Those two guys, I kind of look at the most.

Q. You're probably going into the last season here. What does it mean to stay home for you? You could have gone anywhere in the country, and you chose to stay in Missouri. What has the city meant to you, and what has the opportunity to play there meant for you?

LUTHER BURDEN III: I felt like, before I got there, the state was kind of dry. I felt like my impact with going there could have changed the whole scenario of the whole reputation of the Missouri Tigers. I'm still continuing to work, still continuing to try to change that, and I'm trying to put us on top.