Former NFL Star Nate Burleson's Advice to Football Player Son: 'Start Your Own Journey' (Exclusive)

Burleson's son is a student-athlete at the University of Nevada, where his father also went

Nate Burleson is helping his son kick off a new chapter.

The former NFL wide receiver turned CBS Mornings host recently sent his oldest child, Nate Jr., off to college at the University of Nevada, where the teenager will play football just like his dad.

Burleson knows his son will hear the comparisons, so his best piece of advice has nothing to do with them.

"I just whispered to him, 'Go on and start your own journey,'” he shares exclusively with PEOPLE. “'This is your story, control the narrative.'"

Burleson went on to star in an 11-year NFL career after playing at the University of Nevada, where he met his wife, Atoya, who was a collegiate track star.  The two share Nate Jr., 19, as well as son Nehemiah, 17, and daughter Mia, 13.

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Related: CBS Mornings' Nate Burleson Reveals Special Twist He's Putting on Father's Day with His Kids (Exclusive)

“I understand that most people would assume me as a father, I would want him to go to Nevada, but I also didn't want him to fall under any type of pressure he may feel, being the son of both a football star and a track star at the school,” Burleson says. “But he's made his own decisions, and I'm in full support.”

The CBS Mornings host adds that Nate Jr. was “passionate” about his choice of school, and he’s made his peace with the family legacy he inherited.

“He's like, ‘I want to go there and break all of your records,’ ” Burleson recalls of his son's determination. “And he was like, ‘So for that reason, I'm okay with the pressure that I feel to be successful, and I will.’”

But, while Nate Jr. may already have a handle on the whole college thing, that doesn’t mean there weren’t still some tears shed from all involved.

“When I gave him my final embrace before we drove to the airport, I lost it,” says Burleson. “And I am not a big crier. The emotional connection, when you see your firstborn off to college, it just hits different. So as I was holding him, I started crying, he started crying. I said, ‘I love you.’ And he said, ‘I love you too, dad.’ And that was it.”

Ultimately, Burleson is a proud dad, and he’s ready to watch his son navigate this next chapter of his life.

“If you really love your son, you can't wait for the day that he's better than you, smarter than you, wealthier than you, more educated than you, more well-rounded than you, more well-traveled, so that's where I am,” he says. “And I love the fact that he didn't want my [jersey] number!”

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Read the original article on People.