LEE: Now’s the time to appreciate, and reward, the honesty of Leroy Burrell
Some fans are frustrated with Auburn for “losing” Burrell — but Burrell’s career isn’t as simple as winners and losers. His words deserve to be heard, and his journey deserves to be understood.
Leroy Burrell didn’t have to share.
He certainly didn’t need to explain himself to anyone, back when he made the move from Houston to Auburn, and he certainly didn’t owe it to anyone to bear his wounds, or to dig into them by talking about them.
But he did it anyway, to try to help.
As soon as Burrell got to Auburn in 2022, he was honest, even with people he was just getting to know in his new city, even with reporters he hadn’t met before: Burrell came to Auburn less than a year after his son died by suicide. He had coached 23 years at Houston, his alma mater. His son grew up there. Then his son ran track there, and won NCAA titles there, all at Houston.
In grieving the unimaginable, Burrell sought out some solace at Auburn. He sought out a clean slate, a fresh start, new scenery — scenery that maybe didn’t tug and pull on his heart and soul, any more than his heart and soul were already being tugged, and pulled, and stretched, and mangled.
And in the process he spoke about all of it, to try to help someone else out there by raising awareness to mental health struggles, by talking about expectations and shadows cast and how society treats accomplishments, and to maybe help another grieving parent out there not feel so alone. He bore all. He opened up. He tried to help.
He didn’t owe anyone that, but he gave anyway.
Now — as Burrell makes the jump to Texas A&M — the man should get a break. He may well explain it all anyway in the coming days, but since he’s already given so much, how could anyone feel owed? Shouldn’t he be rewarded for opening up, with understanding? Shouldn’t he be rewarded for speaking, by being heard?
It’s been clear from the beginning of his tenure at Auburn that Burrell is on an atypical coaching journey — an impossible journey, to try to heal as much as he can from something he’ll never fully heal from. It might just be that the next step for him and his family is to get back to Texas, to get to College Station 90 minutes from Houston, that it might be good for them — and the fact that possibility even exists is explanation enough.
And it’s even explanation enough for Auburn — and, yes, athletics director John Cohen and his administration. Every Auburn fan has every right to criticize every decision they make, but when it comes to Burrell, this isn’t one of those things. This ain’t losing Lane Kiffin to LSU. It ain’t getting lockered for a recruit, and it ain’t as simple as getting little brothered on money. Texas is track and field hotbed, and Texas A&M is a prestigious job, but it just isn’t that simple. It’s different.
Burrell already explained why. He should be heard. He should be understood.
Here are a couple of questions posed after the announcement of Burrell’s departure, and a couple of answers:
When was the last time Auburn lost any head coach to another SEC school?
— Sam, on Instagram
There’s only one other instance that stands out: