Amier Burdine a true dual threat for Reading High, splitting time between basketball and football

Mar. 8—These are busy days for Reading High sophomore Amier Burdine.

After school he can be found lifting and conditioning with the Red Knights football team.

Then it's on to basketball practice, where he and the Red Knights are preparing for their District 3 Class 6A semifinal Wednesday against Muhlenberg.

Then back outside to throw the football around and help prep for Reading's spring football debut March 19 against Father Judge.

"It's fun," Burdine said.

Difficult, too, he added. He's got to make sure he's on his game in two sports at the same time, and that he's taking care of his body and eating right so that he call pull double duty.

He could've added the word unprecedented, because no Reading athlete has ever crossed over between football and basketball like this before.

The coronavirus made this practice hopping necessary. It wiped out Reading High's fall sports season, causing the school's football team to be sidelined for the first time since its inception in 1892. (They played both sports during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.)

The PIAA gave schools such as Reading High a window of opportunity when it opted to create an avenue for fall sports, such as football, soccer and field hockey, to be played in the spring.

It was a boon for athletes at Reading High, especially seniors who saw their last chance to play fall by the wayside while friends — including some former teammates who had transferred — played on at other schools.

"It was extremely heartbreaking (seeing that)," said Reading High running back Elijah Williams. "I was hurt, but I was still rooting on my friends."

Throughout the down times, beginning in August when the Reading School Board elected to suspend fall sports, it was a challenge to keep the team together.

Red Knights coach Andre Doyle and his staff kept players involved via Zoom meetings during the fall months when they weren't allowed to gather in person.

"We had to ensure that we had even more programs in place, even if it was virtually, so that we could continue to build continuity," Doyle said. "That was huge. The kids were happy and hopeful (about a spring season), but they were leery."

It became real when practice began last week. It'll be even more real when they get on the field in 11 days for the first of five games in what is being called the United 10 Football League. Reading is paired in the Northern Division with Cheltenham, Norristown, Truman and Judge.

"It was great that they gave us a chance to actually come out and play again," said Reading High linebacker Kobe Hopkins. "It makes us feel like they didn't give up on us."

For Burdine, it's a chance to show off his considerable skills as a dual-threat quarterback. He made quite an impact as a freshman in 2019.

"He stayed active and stayed in skill camps over the time that we've been down," said Doyle. "I'm delighted with his growth and I'm anxious to see him on the field."

It's no surprise to see Burdine excel on the court. He comes from a long line of basketball standouts.

His father, Dennis "Fatz" Burdine, was the center on Reading's legendary 1990-91 team, which featured Donyell Marshall and won 31 games. His brother, Zhykier (also known as Meme), was Reading's leading scorer as a junior and senior in 2013 and 2014. Cousins Trinity and Jordan were 1,000-point scorers at Reading.

Amier has become an important role player on the court, helping the Red Knights go 21-2 and earn the top seed in the district tournament. He's one of the first players off the bench and has become a trusted defender. When the Red Knights were clinging to a two-point lead against Wilson at the Geigle Feb. 16 and expecting Stevie Mitchell get the final shot following a timeout in the waning seconds, they switched Burdine onto the Berks scoring leader. Mitchell missed a shot at the buzzer and Reading held on for a 62-60 win.

"Amier did an amazing job on Stevie," said Reading coach Rick Perez.

Burdine's success came even sooner in football. In the 2019 season opener against Kutztown, he returned a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown and threw a TD pass.

"My first game, I was nervous," Burdine said. "I just touched the ball and I was fine ever since."

The 6-foot, 165-pound Burdine continued to evolve as a threat in the read-option game and showed an ability to throw on the run.

He's an elusive open-field runner who scored four TDs and finished second on the team in rushing. He ran for 116 yards against Oxford and threw for 154 yards and a pair of TDs against Daniel Boone, helping the Red Knights go 6-5 and earn a berth in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The highlight of his season came in a 25-23 win over Twin Valley, when he threw a game-winning 22-yard TD pass in the final quarter.

"I would have never done it without the seniors and coaches around me supporting me every step I took," Burdine said.

Doyle sees big things for Burdine.

"(His teammates) just gravitate to him," Doyle said. "He just has an 'it' factor. Whether it's on the basketball court or on the football field they see his potential and his talent; they (feel) his aura and are drawn to it."