Did you know that Vontaze Burfict began his NFL career in 2012 as an uncalled-up Free Agent and that he played college football with Arizona State? You probably thought you knew so much about the linebacker of the Cincinnati Bengals, didn’t you? Well, wait until you read these five less important facts about him, then you can create a scorecard for yourself.
Vontaze Burfict Bio
He was born September 24, 1990, as Vontaze DeLeon Burfict Jr. in South Los Angeles, but grew up in Corona, California, where he attended Centennial High School in Corona, California.
His parents’ names are Vontaze Burfict Sr. and Lisa Williams. His father Vontaze Burfict Sr. was a gang member and a convicted cocaine dealer who spent most of his life in prison, so Vontaze never had a close relationship with him. He has an older half-brother named Dashan Miller. They were initially raised alone by their mother (a bus driver in the city transit system), who later remarried and moved to Corona with her two sons.
His older brother also played high school football at Corona Centennial High School and college football at UTEP and then in Akron. He qualified for the 2010 NFL Draft but was not drafted.
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Career
He played soccer with his high school soccer team and was on the team that won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) title. In his junior year, he recorded 130 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble recovery. He led a linebacker unit that included other linebackers such as Brandon Magee and Shelly Lyons.
Corona Centennial finished this season in 24th place in the USA Today Top 25. In 2008, the USA Today team was ranked second-best team in the country. In the same year, Vontaze Burfi participated in the US Army All-American Bowl and was voted third best tackler of the Western team. He also received numerous All-American honors, including the Parade.
In 2009, he appeared at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl for the second time and was rated a five-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. He was also named the number one linebacker in the country.
Initially, he signed up to play college football for the USC Trojans, but changed his mind on National Signing Day and moved to the state of Arizona. However, he struggled to meet the admission standard based on NCAA eligibility. Finally, he met the standard and joined the team for the 2010 season, and by mid-season, he had 30 tackles, 5 tackles for a defeat, 2 sacks and 3 pass failures to reach second place on the team and was named the Arizona State Defensive MVP for the mid-season by ESPN.
College Football News named him the Vontaze Burfict Freshman All-American along with the Football Writers Association of America and he was also honored with the Pacific-10 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year award. The Sporting News also named him First Team Preseason All-American, he received the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and also the 2010 Rotary Lombardi Award.
Burfict had a rather inconsistent junior year after a knee injury, he was expected to take over the defense of the Sun Devils, but this never happened as he had to give up his senior season for an NFL draft.
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He started his professional career in 2012 as a free player without a draft. During his rookie season, he made a name for himself by leading the team in tackles and starting 14 games. Today he is one of the best linebackers not only in his team but also in the National Football League (NFL).
PED Violations
While at the NFL Combine in 2012 Vontaze Burfict tested positive for marijuana and he admitted to NFL officials that he had actually smoked marijuana. In March 2018 he was suspended for four games for violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
In 2016 he was suspended for three games, but not for a violation of the PED, but for repeated violations of player safety regulations. In his career to date, he has accumulated a total of $4,038,534 in fines.
Vontaze Burfict Salary & Net Worth
Vontaze Burfict has broken several records, and this is certainly not without a positive side, of which his net worth is sure proof. The total net worth of the player is currently estimated at $12 million. His base salary will be $3.81 million in 2018.
Who Is Vontaze Burfict Married To? – His Wife
The linebacker of the Cincinnati Bengals is not married, but since 2011 together with his high school sweetheart Brandie Labomme. Brandie holds a B.A. in Business Communication and French from Arizona State University.
The couple is the parents of two adorable girls. They welcomed their first daughter Aiyanna in 2015 and a second daughter in May 2017.
