Matthew Burdick Class: Senior Hometown: Winston-Salem, N.C. High School: Mount Tabor High School Weight: 177 Position: Placekicker Birthdate: 05/13/1978 Experience: 3VL

A superlative student and athlete who has already been a significant success in both areas in only three years at Wake Forest … on schedule to receive his undergraduate degree in education (Social Studies) this summer, slightly more than three years after enrolling at WFU … has reached that level academically while achieving at the Dean's List and ACC Honor Roll level … equally outstanding on the football field the past two years as well where he has ranked as one of the top placekickers in the ACC and the country … a semi-finalist for the "Lou Groza Award" which is presented to America's top kicker as a sophomore and junior … his 15 field goals in 1997 were one shy of the Demon Deacon single season mark (16 by Wilson Hoyle in 1987), and his perfect performance in PATs (24-24) that year was the second-best in school history (Hoyle was 34-for-34 in '87) … those 15 field goals ranked him 14th nationally during the '97 campaign … followed that performance with another very productive season a year ago, converting 13 (of 18) field goal tries and 24 of 25 PATs … again was the third-ranked kicker in the conference while standing 29th in the country in his specialty … now enters his final Deacon season already ninth on the school's all-time scoring list with 142 points … figures to complete his outstanding career as the second-most productive kicker overall (after Hoyle's 230 points) in WFU history … could surpass Hoyle's career mark of 37 field goals, though, needing just eight more to reach that level … his achievements certainly come as no surprise to the Wake coaching staff which consider him one of the most determined and consistent workers on the squad … such effort extends even into the weightroom, where he takes great pride in having benchpressed 300 lbs earlier in his career and his ability to dunk a basketball with two hands … will be pushed this fall by his younger kicking mate Tyler Ashe, but look for this Deacon to be ready to retain his duties as the team's top placekicker and challenge for even highe honors on both the ACC and national levels.

1998: Enjoyed a consistent and productive season to continue his quest to become one of the top placekickers in WFU history … successful on 13 of 18 field goal tries, with only one of his misses coming from inside 45 yards … had a streak of seven consecutive made three-pointers over a four-game midseason stretch … that period included a career-best three field goals against Virginia (from 39, 34 & 33 yds) … tied the school record for longest field goal with a 53-yarder against App State … also nailed a 48-yard FG in win over Navy and a 46-yarder in victory at Maryland … his clutch 34-yard field goal versus the Terps actually clinched that 20-10 win late in the fourth quarter … other two-field-goal outings came versus Navy (41 & 48 yds), Clemson (43 & 21) and App State (53 & 24) … only missed PAT came in year's second contest against Navy … followed that with 23 consecutive successful conversions, a streak that he now carries into 1999.

1997: Began the season in fine fashion with field goals of 46 and 28 yards in win over nationally ranked Northwestern … after missing from 50 yards the following week at East Carolina, converted a 30-yard FG versus the Pirates to begin a string of nine straight successful "3s" (2nd-longest streak in WFU history) … that streak covered four consecutive games in which he made two field goals in each, capped by a 37-yarder and a 45-yarder at North Carolina … perhaps his most memorable boot occurred during that time as well when he converted a 37-yard field goal attempt with 0:43 remaining to give Wake Forest a 19-18 nationally televised (ESPN) victory over NC State … streak ended when his 43-yard attempt against Maryland was blocked … that 43-yard distance proved to be unlucky for him again in season finale at Florida State when he misfired from that point versus the Seminoles, thereby coming one FG short of the Deacon school record.

1996: Planned to be redshirted, but when placekicker Bill Hollows left the squad in late-October he was inserted into the lineup … first action was an unmemorable missed PAT versus Navy … booted his first successful extra-point the following week at Florida State … missed his initial field goal try as well, a 41-yarder against Duke, but came back to convert a 38-yarder in that same game … also provided the winning point in that 17-16 Deacon victory by nailing the PAT after a Desmond Clark TD with 1:27 remaining in the game.

BACKGROUND: Product of nearby Mount Tabor High where he did not begin playing football until his sophomore year, but developed into one of North Carolina's premier kicking specialists … his holder there was current teammate Jimmy Caldwell … named all-state in 1995 by Associated Press and was placekicker for North Carolina's Shrine Bowl squad (also selected a co-captain in that all-star tilt) … connected on seven of 12 field goal tries as a senior, including successful boots from 55 and 54 yards against intra-city rival North Forsyth … also converted 33-of-35 PATs, including a successful 45-yarder (due to penalties) … hit eight of 10 FGs and 59-of-61 PATs in his junior year … completed a brilliant career under coach Bob Sapp as Mount Tabor's leading all-time scorer with 147 points (although that mark has since been surpassed) … once converted 33 straight PATs and was 99-of-103 overall … lettered two years in soccer before deciding to concentrate on football as a junior and senior … as noted above, has been an excellent student at Wake Forest … compiled a perfect 4.0 grade point average during the spring of '97 and was just slightly off that outstanding mark with a 3.9 this past spring … still finds time to be active in FCA and with the Athletes Care Team at Wake Forest … selected as athletic program's top "Scholar Athlete" for 1997-98 academic year … plans to play his senior season while wearing a black armband in memory of an older brother Bryon, who died from leukemia in 1989 at the age of 13 … will be working toward a masters degree in education this year … age 21 (born 5/13/78).

CAREER STATISTICS

FIELD GOALS

       PATS   0-29   30-39  40-49  50+  TOTAL  LONG
1996   4-6    1-1    1-1    0-1    0    2-3    38
1997   24-24  6-7    5-6    4-8    0-2  15-23  46
1998   24-25  3-3    5-5    4-7    1-3  13-18  53
TOTALS 52-55  10-11  11-12  8-16   1-5  30-44  53

LONGEST FIELD GOAL
53 yards vs App State, 10/3/98

LONGEST ATTEMPT
54 yards (blocked) vs Duke, 10/10/98

GAME WINNERS
PAT vs Duke (17-16) with 1:27 left, 11/16/96 37-yard FG vs NC State with 0:43 left, 9/25/97