By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine
I’ve covered high school football since 1991 and have seen some talented kickers come out of Louisiana.
The talent at kicker in Shreveport-Bossier for the next couple of years is insane. I don’t remember so many talented kickers coming out of the state, let alone from these two cities.
This week, we will cover several kickers who play high school football in Shreveport-Bossier and let you get to know who they are, where they go to school and why they are so good. Also I have seen several specialists in south Louisiana that have a chance at FBS or FCS Division I football – just not all neighbors as you have in this corner of the state.
The most talented high school kicker I ever saw in Louisiana was Wade Richey of Carencro. He was 6-3, 190 pounds-plus, had a leg for 60-plus yards and kicked many over 50 yards in games in high school. He went on to have a great career for LSU and in the NFL.
I had a chance to talk to former Louisiana Tech star kicker Marty Kent (1994-1997) and ask him what he thought of the talent at kicker in the area.
“It is an exciting time to be a football fan in northwest Louisiana, especially if you like the kicking game Lee,” Kent said. “We are blessed to have a lot of local talent at the kicking position. I have been helping kids now for over 30 years and I am not sure I have ever seen the type of talent we have locally. We have two of the top kickers in the country in Aeron Burrell of Parkway and Abram Murray at Byrd, and they both are great talents. They have the potential to go to college and have tremendous careers. Burrell and Murray are as good as I have seen at their age, and I have worked with guys who played in both college and the NFL.”
“We also have Garrett Little at Calvary Baptist, Asher Murray and Kaegan Kent at Evangel Christian, Jackson Cooper at Byrd and only God knows where they might end up,” he said. “There are also a number of other kickers in town I have heard good things about but have not yet had the chance to work with. It’s an exciting time to be a kicker in northwest Louisiana.”
Today we will talk about Parkway junior kicker Aeron Burrell, a young talented player who some think is the best kicker in the United States for his class. Yes, maybe the best in the country, not just in Louisiana.
I’ve seen him kick in only one game, in 2021, but what I saw was WOW. In kickoffs alone he is putting the ball seven yards deep in the end zone like a college kicker.
Already in the young 2022 season, Burrell is 25-of-26 on touchbacks on kickoffs, and 3-of-5 on field goals.
He won a game last Friday with a 50-yard field goal in the final seconds against Haughton and has a Bossier Parish record 52-yarder against Red River. He has made a 69-yard field goal in practice.
Burrell explains what he likes so much about football.
“The game gets intense at times like a rivalry game and the atmosphere of playing for your school under the lights on a Friday night is very special,” Burrell said. “I love our fans at Parkway; they are loud and really bring the spirit. The crowd gives me adrenaline every time I go out for a kick, which helps me a lot.”
“I would like to thank Marty Kent, a guy who kicked for Louisiana Tech back in the day. He’s taught me so many things,” Burrell said. “Ever since I started kicking in eighth grade, he’s taught me certain drills, game scenarios and life. I need to be more consistent at hitting the ball in the right spot every time. I am always trying to get better.”
Notes on Aeron Burrell:
College football games already attended in 2022 include watching LSU, Southern, Houston, Rice, ULL and Southeastern.
Burrell’s favorite colleges are TCU, Houston, Florida, Alabama, and LSU.
His mom played basketball at Alabama and then transferred and finished at Alabama State.
He has a 3.8 GPA and is a midfielder on the soccer team.
He would like to major in sports medicine in college. His dream if sports don’t work out past college is to be an athletic trainer.
Among his hobbies, he likes to cook and cut hair and work on his kicking.
HOT OFF THE PRESS, QUICKLY ON YOUR SCREEN: For previews of every Louisiana high school and college football team, info on the state’s top senior prospects, and more, you can order the 2022 Louisiana Football Magazine at LaFootballMagazine.com – offering North Louisiana and South Louisiana editions, printed or digital. Magazines are ready for shipping now.
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com
