Resilient Burks Finds Second Home at OU

This story appears in the Oct. 4 Kent State game program. Click here to read the full program.

A s a child, Deion Burks would exhaust his abundant energy by bouncing around the house, flipping off of his bed or practicing wrestling moves. He was into WWE at the time and would wrestle with whatever he could find.

Eventually, his mother Dionne suggested he take his energy to another place. Anywhere outside the house.

"She felt like I had too much energy in the house," Burks said. "I had these long pillows, and I used to fight the pillows and be so aggressive. She said, 'You need to take that energy somewhere else.'"

When he was 8, she put him in football, and he picked up the game quickly. He also began bowling at a young age, another sport introduced by his mother.

"My family is big on bowling," Burks said. "My mom had her own ball, so I wanted one, too. From then, I just started bowling."

Because of his competitive spirit, Burks says he is the best bowler in his family, though his brother Reggie bowls more often. Deion averages a score around 150 and has scored as high as 232.

Family is important to Burks. His immediate family is close. His mother passed away when Deion was 13, but he says that she always was, and still is his number one supporter. His father Daniel, stepmother, siblings and girlfriend all make sure he knows they are watching his games even when they cannot attend. His grandparents text him well wishes the night before games.

When he attended Purdue, Burks was about a four-and-a-half-hour drive from his Inkster, Mich., home. Since transferring to Oklahoma in January 2024, he has been more than 1,000 miles away. He has leaned on his teammates to create a sense of home. He describes Inkster as its own small community and found the same kind and welcoming nature in Norman.

The classic Oklahoma football uniforms caught Burks' attention at a young age. As he grew older and became more serious about the sport, he looked up to players like Ceedee Lamb, Hollywood Brown and Baker Mayfield.

"It always seemed like those guys were having so much fun," Burks said. "Overall, Oklahoma was just a great fit for me."

Deion Burks celebrates a touchdown against Temple during the 2024 season.

Deion Burks celebrates a touchdown against Temple during the 2024 season.

Deion Burks made an immediate impact when he arrived in Norman, becoming the first Sooner to register three touchdown receptions in a season opener against Temple last year.

T he senior wide receiver is known as good-natured, funny, family-oriented, competitive and freakishly athletic. He can bowl a 200-plus game, land a standing backflip and run past defenders as though they're standing still. He donates his time and money to helping the community. He also tends to rally and pick up his teammates.

"He's always great to be around," senior defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings said. "When you're down, he makes you feel like you're wanted and he makes you happy. He's always got a smile on his face. He teaches you how to be a pro in the way he carries himself every day."

Burks' journey has not been without setbacks, but that is all part of what makes Deion who he is.

Burks experienced immediate success on the field when he arrived at Oklahoma. His 26 receptions through four games were the most ever by a Sooner in his first four career contests, as were his 31 catches in five games last season.

In his fourth game at OU, the Sooners' SEC opener against Tennessee, Burks sustained an injury that kept him off the field until November. When he returned to action six games later at Missouri, he made five catches before sustaining another injury. After the game, he learned that his family's house in Michigan caught fire that same night.

His father had planned to be in Columbia to support Deion in his return to game action but missed his flight. He was the only family member at home and was able to call for help.

"If he wasn't home and if he hadn't missed his flight, the whole house would've been gone," Burks said.

Nobody was injured in the fire, and his family is in the process of rebuilding the home and adding in new things. Smiling, Burks said they are trying to decide where to put the new patio.

The setbacks pushed Burks to strengthen his mentality and lean on those around him for support. His primary focus is to work hard for his teammates. That selfless nature played a large role in his overcoming the challenges of the 2024 season.

"Now that I'm in the position I'm in," Burks said, "I understand that those things had to happen to get me in the right mindset to have the success that I'm having now." In the same way he looks out for and supports teammates, Burks gives back to the community. Giving back and building friendships are main components of building a home away from home.

Since the start of the 2024 season, Burks has pledged to donate $50 for each of his catches to Rob's Ranch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with drug and alcohol addiction. He also pulled together local businesses and individuals to participate. To date, he has helped raise more than $28,000 for the organization through his donations and pledge campaign. He also visits elementary schools and participates in the team's bye week and Martin Luther King Jr. Day service projects.

Players say there is a feeling of brotherhood in the locker room, and that Burks' focus on being a good teammate and truly knowing others on the team contributes to the unity.

"With this team, I am close with everybody," Burks said. "I can call anyone, and I know they're going to pick up the phone. Honestly, we jelled quickly. It was a good connection, and we bonded quickly."

Burks brought his love of bowling to his teammates, fostering camaraderie. "This team bowls," he said.

During the offseason, it became a primary activity outside of workouts and summer classes. Several players even purchased their own bowling balls. Even when Burks could not attend, he would hear when someone posted a new high score.

"Deion is the one that got me to get my own bowling ball because he has three of his own," Spears-Jennings said. "Every day in the summertime, we'd text in the group chat, 'Hey, wanna go around 6?'"

It's all part of Burks' magnetism.

His athleticism is evident on the football field but was on display in a video he recorded for social media with the men's gymnastics team during the spring of 2024. After testing his strength and flexibility skills on different apparatuses, he performed a cartwheel into a backflip. The same type of moves he would practice as an energetic kid.

Burks returned to school this season, hoping to firmly establish OU as a second home. He revealed his decision to stay for another year in a video last December in which it initially appeared he was meeting with head coach Brent Venables, wide receivers coach Emmett Jones and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to say goodbye but eventually unveiled the No. 4 jersey he intended to wear for the 2025 season.

"When I look back at college, I want a place I can really call home and feel like it's welcoming," Burks said. "(Coach Venables) was happy with my decision, and I was happy with my decision. So far, it's been paying off."

Burks is healthier and carries a more positive mentality this season. Through four games, he has logged a team-high 23 catches for 265 yards and two touchdowns.

"There has not been one time that I have questioned 'why' this year," Burks said. "I had to switch my mindset and try to eliminate distractions to figure out what I have to do to be the best me on Saturdays."

In his final season as a Sooner, Burks is focusing on the family that supports him from home and the family he has built in Norman.