Artie Burns – March 25, 2025
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Tuesday, March 25, 2025
CB Artie Burns
(Have you thought about playing for the Dolphins? Is that kind of a dream come true in some ways?) – “Most definitely. Being born and raised in Miami and having a chance to be a professional in my own backyard is definitely a dream come true.”
(Were there other teams who showed interest this offseason where you picked Miami over someone else?) – “Yeah, there were some other teams interested, but I felt like Miami had the best opportunity for me to show my talents.”
(Question about your versatility. I know you played some nickel and then outside corner. Is there a preference there? Which do you feel like showcases your skillset the best? Which position?) – “I feel like it doesn’t really matter where I play. I feel like at the point I’m at in my career right now I definitely want to be around the ball more, make more plays. I feel like nickel could highlight that for me, but also corner you can be that man-to-man lockdown corner. You have the opportunities to lock down some of the best guys in the league out there so both positions present a bunch of opportunities for itself.”
(What kind of role are you envisioning for yourself with the Dolphins this season?) – “I envision myself just coming in and helping the team in every [aspect]. Going into my 10th year, I hold a bunch of experience and I’m just ready to work on the field, on the grass. I’ve been in this system before with Mike Macdonald in Seattle. I’m very familiar with it and I just want to bring the tools that I have, that I learned and then apply it over here.”
(I’m doing a thing on draft night experience for players. I’ve been asking a bunch of players about their draft night experience. I think you went No. 25 if I’m not mistaken. Tell me about your draft night experience, were you worried about going low into the first round? Tell me about that night.) – “It’s crazy. When I was coming out, Miami had a Miami pro day for all the local guys to come out and work out for the team. They insinuated that if I had a good workout they were going to pull the trigger on me in the first round. And on draft night I’m thinking I had a good workout, I think they’re going to pull the trigger on me and I ended up going to Pittsburgh. It was a fun night. Definitely a bunch of emotions and definitely a memorable night.”
(The Dolphins have a young corner in Cam Smith who is a developmental player, and a couple of other youngsters. How do you approach at this point sort of mentoring or helping younger guys?) – “Just seeing what they are looking for. Definitely being the new guy in the room, I just want to assess the room and see what everybody brings to the table and just bring what I have. I’m not here to shake up nothing or move anybody. I’m just here to add on and grow, help the team and keep moving forward.”
(Were you a high school teammate of Teddy Bridgewater?) – “Yes, sir.”
(Did you talk to him about the Dolphins experience or what it’s like playing at home?) – “Not yet. I’m still just kind of settling in. I really got my head down for right now. Just looking forward to OTAs and getting around the team, getting around the guys, and getting in the building. Just looking forward to that.”
(You were a first-round pick, you had some struggles early in your career, but you’re a 10-year veteran which not a lot of people get to 10 years. What do you think all of these experiences have taught you about yourself and about the league?) – “Definitely invest in yourself. Find out what’s important to you, the things that matter because this league is a shaky league. It changes year in and year out, so your values always have got to stay the same to keep on moving because it’s always a turning cycle in this league. I feel like those things kind of help me stay grounded and keep on moving forward throughout all the ups and downs and stuff like that.”
(What keeps you playing, like why are you still doing this?) – “Because I want to control my own narrative. Like you said, in my early career I was young, I had a bunch of other responsibilities. I feel like just being able to put those things in order and just keep on working got me here.”
(How much do you think those responsibilities because I know about your family situation, obviously everybody who grew up here knows that, how much do you think all of that stuff weighed on you when you were an early pro with the Steelers?) – “When I was younger I didn’t understand the psychological part it had on me mentally. Now that I’m a veteran in the game, I play the game all mental. I feel like that kind of clouded a lot of my judgement and understanding of the game and investing into myself. I wasn’t investing into myself. I got my own personal trainer now. Those things kind of helped launch me here.”
(You’re home-based in South Florida still? It’s always been South Florida?) – “Yeah, it’s always been South Florida.”
(Ten years – a lot of guys don’t get there. What’s been the key to your longevity?) – “Staying healthy, learning from older guys, even learning from younger guys. Just being open. Open to change. I feel like the league is on the brink of changing right now and just open to it.”
(How excited are you to check out the “West” [Miami Northwestern Senior High] this year?) – “I’m super excited. I haven’t been to a Miami game or a UM game in like, 10 years, so I’m looking forward to all of those things. There are going to be a lot of things going on this year.”
(You were All-Dade third-team back in 2011 and then you made the jump to first-team in 2012. At what point did you realize that you wanted to do this football thing full-time and go professional with it instead of track?) – “I never made a decision actually. I was just doing both sports, being the best that I can to each sport to whichever calling came for me. I never determined which route I wanted to take. It just chose me for real.”
(What was your favorite memory back at the “West”?) – “There are a bunch of memories. Every day is a memory at the West. There is so many great memories. Just being there with all the guys I grew up with. I’d say signing day when we had like 15 guys signing D-1 colleges and going on to represent Miami.”
(There has been many accomplished NFL players like you who’ve had to spend time briefly on practice squad later in your career with these new rules. How tough was that with Seattle to not get as many defensive snaps as obviously earlier in your career beyond the practice squad some? And did you come here with the thinking from either Head Coach Mike McDaniel, or Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver that you will be given a chance to earn real playing time here?) – “I felt like whatever team I went to I was always given the opportunity to play and show my talents. I just hope it will happen, but when I get here they will see what I can do and see what I have to offer for the team.”
(So no role given to you when you signed by Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, Head Coach Mike McDaniel? No one talked about a specific role with you?) – “I mean, I can play corner and nickel and those are the things they want to see me do.”
