Candidate for all-conference and all-America honors … returning for his third year as the Mountaineers’ starting tight end … led team with eight touchdown catches last season, tied for the most ever by an Appalachian State tight end … enters his senior campaign tied for ninth in school history with 11 career touchdown receptions … is a prototypical modern tight end that creates mismatches in the passing game with terrific athleticism and pass-catching ability while also possessing the frame and toughness to be an asset in the running game … is also one of the Mountaineers’ top performers in the class room as a pre-med major.
2015: Earned honorable-mention all-Sun Belt Conference recognition … started all 13 games at tight end … hauled in 15 receptions for 163 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns … eight touchdown receptions tied for the sixth-most in Appalachian State single-season history and matched Daniel Bettis’ 2005 record for the most single-season touchdown catches ever by a Mountaineer tight end … eight touchdown receptions tied for third nationally among tight ends … hauled in his touchdown receptions in spurts with one in each of the first two games of the season (Sept. 5 vs. Howard, Sept. 12 at Clemson), one apiece in a four-game stretch from Oct. 22-Nov. 14 (vs. Georgia Southern, vs. Troy, vs. Arkansas State, at Idaho) and two in the season-ending 31-28 victory over Ohio in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl … his two touchdown catches against Ohio came just 1:56 apart early in the final period and were part of 21-straight fourth-quarter points that saw the Mountaineers turn a 24-7 deficit into a 28-24 lead … caught a season-high three passes three times – vs. Howard, at Georgia State (Oct. 10) and vs. Ohio … notched a season-high 39 receiving yards on just two receptions in the Mountaineers’ loss to eventual Sun Belt champion Arkansas State … hauled in a season-long 33-yard touchdown catch in the Mountaineers’ nationally televised rout over archrival Georgia Southern … finished with three receptions for 32 yards and two touchdowns in the Camellia Bowl victory over Ohio.
2014: Appeared in all 12 games with eight starts at tight end ... caught 14 passes (seventh on team) for 129 yards (eight on team) and two touchdowns (tied for fourth on team) ... nine of his 14 receptions went for first downs ... 10 of his 14 receptions came in the first five games of the season, including two for 43 yards (including a 22-yard touchdown) versus Campbell and four for 35 yards against South Alabama ... also had a 19-yard reception at Georgia Southern ... only caught four passes over the final seven games of the season as Appalachian State relied heavily on its power rushing attack ... caught two passes for five yards in win at Troy ... had a 15-yard reception during snowstorm against Georgia State ... made perhaps his biggest catch of the season when he hauled in a one-yard touchdown pass with six seconds to go in the first half of Appalachian State’s eventual 31-29 win over UL Monroe.
2013: Named freshman all-America by College Sports Journal and freshman all-Southern Conference by the league’s coaches ... despite being limited to nine games due to injury, caught 22 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown ... 22 receptions were good for fifth on team while 205 receiving yards ranked seventh ... half of his 22 receptions went for a first down and/or touchdown ... accounted for 22 of the 23 receptions made by Appalachian State tight ends on the season ... caught a six-yard pass in his career debut at Montana ... scored his first touchdown a week later against North Carolina A&T on a 10-yard pass from Kameron Bryant ... missed three games from Sept. 21-Oct. 19 due to a lower-body injury ... returned against Furman and caught three passes for 33 yards ... hauled in a pair of receptions for 25 yards against Chattanooga ... caught a 23-yard first-down pass in his native state against Georgia ... put together his best performance in the next-to-last game of the season at No. 24 Wofford with eight receptions for 63 yards (both career highs) ... his eight catches at Wofford were the most by an Appalachian State tight end since Daniel Wilcox, who went on to enjoy an eight-year NFL career, caught 10 against Troy on Sept. 9, 2000 ... the 63 yards were the most by a Mountaineer TE since Ben Jorden had 76 yards against Wofford in 2008 ... finished the season with four catches for 20 yards in win over Western Carolina ... earned academic all-Southern Conference accolades for his achievements on the field and in the classroom.
2012: Redshirted.
High School: Honorable-mention all-state honoree after catching 22 passes for 280 yards and five touchdowns as a tight end/wide receiver in a run-oriented offense as a senior … 280 receiving yards led team and ranked third in Cherokee County in 2011 … finished prep career with 31 receptions for 612 yards and seven touchdowns … two-time county Receiver of the Year … all-state honorable mention and all-county selection … helped lead Etowah to region championship as a junior … coached by Bill Stewart … versatile athlete also played power forward for Etowah’s basketball team and was a sprinter and competed in triple jump in track and field … was basketball team’s Defensive Player of the Year and member of county-champion 4x100 relay team as a junior.
Personal: Full name is Barrett Davis Burns ... born March 16, 1994 (21 years old) ... son of Lori and Tyler Burns ... majoring in psychology/pre-professional … member of Appalachian State athletics’ academic honor roll.
