Anthony Burnett '19

Anthony Burnett '19 loves a challenge. He came to Brooks from Malden, Massachusetts, as a fifth-former in search of a rigorous academic experience. Since then, he's made his mark on three Brooks teams through his gregarious nature, determined attitude and sheer athleticism: One year after arriving at the school, Burnett has been named a captain of the football, wrestling and baseball teams, an accomplishment that he says "really surprised" him. He's also a student leader who seems to know everybody by name, and he says he wants to leave his mark on the school he's come to see as a home.

Burnett plays left guard on the Brooks football team, and he says he wouldn't have it any other way. He likes the challenge of playing on the offensive line, a group that he says is often overlooked. The offensive line is the group of players that lines up directly in front of the quarterback: They protect the passer from a barrage, and inevitably have to struggle to literally keep their balance and push back against an onslaught of defensive players salivating for a sack. "I switched from right tackle to left tackle this year, and then to left guard to protect [sixth-form quarterback Connor Silva's] blind side," Burnett says. "I live by the saying 'Always in the trenches, never in the spotlight.' I even have a shirt that says that. I'm there, driving kids and putting in the work, and there's not a lot of recognition. But I'm really okay with that, because I recognize that it's all for the team."

Burnett enjoys playing offensive line because, as he puts it with a smile, "that's really the dirty work. I always keep reminding the boys that we just have to work harder than everyone else. We have to physically go out there and move other people around, and everyone else just has to catch a football." Burnett's hard work paid off this year, and he got noticed despite his unglamorous position: He was named to the All-ISL team and received the football team's Coaches Award.

Burnett finds himself much more in the spotlight in the winter, once wrestling season begins. He wrestles in the 285-pound weight class and has made an immediate impact. After being cut from the boys 2nd basketball team, Burnett found the wrestling room and pinned his first opponent in 19 seconds.

"I liked it," he says. "Winning is amazing, and winning in wrestling is better than winning in any other sport. You've just outmanned another person, and that feels really good."

Wrestling coach Pat Hitschler appreciates Burnett's presence in the lineup. "We needed a heavyweight, so we knew he'd be out there right away. It was great to have him. He went out there every day and was ready to go. He would get to the match, go out there and give it his best."

Come spring, Burnett suits up for the Brooks baseball team. Consider this: He's set to be a team captain this year, despite not starting last year and serving as the team's backup first baseman. "I think a lot of people take to who I am as a person,"he explains. "Even though I didn't play a lot last year, I was heavily engaged in the sport, and I coached first base. I really embraced my role as backup."

Burnett doesn't just embrace his role on Brooks teams; he also embraces the role he's made for himself at Brooks School. He's a dorm prefect in Whitney House and a Chapel prefect, and he's found ways to make Brooks his home despite his short tenure on campus. In making Brooks his home, he's made it a more welcoming place for other students.

"Brooks is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me," Burnett says."I like being on campus on the weekends. I want other kids to have as much fun on the weekends as I do. I also come from a very religious background, and I want to help make Chapel an inviting community space for everyone. I also love living in Whitney, and I want the kids in there to know how good the dorm is and how great our dorm community is. Whitney is a family."

As he looks toward the end of his Brooks career, Burnett wants to make sure he leaves his mark on the school. "I've done a lot here," he says, "and I think I just want to have an effect on as many people as I can before I leave here. At Brooks, I've learned to be kind and helpful where you can, whenever you can. The people here have always been kind and helpful to me, and they've changed my life."