SAN DIEGO – 
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound inside linebacker admitted in a separate interview the neck injury he suffered in last year’s preseason finale against the 49ers was the scariest of his career.
But while he admitted, in general, a nagging injury often does hinder a football player, he avoided it as a justification for what was a solid season despite his physical limitations (he made 83 total tackles and 2.5 sacks in 11 games). The NFL is a bottom-line industry, he said.
“You play football. You go out there, play as hard as you can and let the chips fall where they may,” Burnett said. “You prepare, you do everything that you can do. The only thing to do is go out there and play, and that’s the easy part.”
His professional approach will not change now that fellow ILB
“I think you do everything that’s within your power every day to get ready to be the best player that you can be,” Burnett said. “If you need extra motivation, then you’re in the wrong business.”
A standout last preseason after he spent the first four years of his career in Dallas, Burnett again made a mark against the Bears, recording five total tackles, a sack and a quarterback hurry.
San Diego blitzed from several positions in the 25-10 win, sacking Chicago quarterbacks six times. But more important, the Chargers disrupted the offenses’ timing. And the more visible the disruption the better, Head Coach Norv Turner said.
“If you can get them out of their comfort level, they’re not going to play as well against you,” Turner said. “Kevin Burnett is an outstanding blitzer. A lot of times if you come off the edge, the quarterback doesn’t ever feel it. I think if you come up those A gaps, he not only feels it, he sees it.”
Fellow inside linebacker
“I think we’re doing that a lot more this year. Last year we let our outside linebackers go a lot more than usual,” Cooper said. “This year with KB (Kevin Burnett) being so fast and so quick, he’s going to get a lot of pressure on the quarterback.”
A Los Angeles native, Burnett’s comfort level in the locker room, around his linebacker buddies and in San Diego has leaped since this time last year. That camaraderie creates a healthy learning atmosphere, Burnett said. But the Chargers defense, in his opinion, exposes players for what they are.
“(This defense) allows guys to go run around and make plays. You allow guys to showcase what they can do,” Burnett said. “This is a show-me game. It’s a lot of talk about, ‘Well I’m the best player,’ ‘Well I’m this,’ ‘Well I’m that.’ Well you have to continue to show that year in and year out. In this defense, if you’re not such a good player, it’s going to show. If you’re a good player, it’s going to show. It’s really up to you what you do in this defense.”
And if Burnett remains healthy, that’s something those at Chargers Park could enjoy seeing.
