Getting to Know: Amari Burney
In comparison to some of the other early signees in Florida’s 2018 recruiting class, Amari Burney has had a relatively smooth recruiting process.
Burney, who is from Clearwater (Fla.), had been committed to Florida for over six months before signing his National Letter of Intent last December. Burney took no official or unofficial visits to any other colleges in the period between his commitment and Signing Day.
Although he did not know who his position coach was going to be after his official visit to Florida in early December, Burney told Inside the Gators after the visit that he had trust in Dan Mullen and that he would enroll early at Florida.
Today it's time to learn a little bit more about Burney on a personal level in this edition of Getting to Know.
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Take us through the process that led to your commitment. What was that experience like for you?
"The experience was great. Everything that went on since sophomore year, after I got my first offer... all the visits that I got to take and everything like that. Just to see places I have never seen before, it was a great experience for me and my family."
Which school came in second for you and why?
"Virginia Tech came in second. Just them having my cousin, and him giving me the insight of all the coaches he’s had for four years. Just him telling me everything about the coaches, about the school and everything like that. That’s why they came in a close second behind Florida."
If there is one thing you could change about the recruiting process, what would it be?
"I really wouldn’t change nothing. I think everything was planned out to be the way it was, so I really wouldn’t change nothing about my recruiting process."
If you could play a sport outside of football, which sport would it be?
"It would probably be basketball. I’m tall and big, so I would probably be a basketball player."
What position would you play?
"I would be small-forward. I really can’t shoot or dribble, so I would just be playing defense and getting rebounds."
What is your favorite football memory?
"Me winning the national championship when I was 12 years old; us playing Staten Island and then we won with two seconds left. We scored a 40-yard touchdown with two seconds left in the game."
What would you say are some of your greatest strengths as a football player?
"Just me being coachable, physical, fast, big. Mainly me being coachable and listening to everything coaches have to say to me and taking it into my game."
What is the most appealing part to you about the University of Florida?
"It’s the coaching staff. Just me knowing the history, just me knowing that Coach Mullen is going to have the best interests for me and he’s going to push me to be as good as I can be. It’s big for me knowing that I’ve got a coach like that."
What do you really need to work on the most when you get to Florida?
"Nothing that I know of, but I know coach and he’s going to find something. He’s going to find something I need to work on, and I’ll definitely work on that."
Who is the prospect that you have talked to the most from the Class of 2018?
"Probably Richard [Gouraige]. Just him being around the corner for me, that’s probably the person I’ve been in the most contact with."
What is your major?
"It’s probably going to be Sports Management."
If you a chance to go on a dream date, who would it be with?
"Rihanna."
What would be your first purchase if you got drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft?
"It would be a new house for my dad."
What is one item that you cannot live without it?
"My PS4."
What games do you play on there?
"2K and Madden."
What is your favorite professional football team?
"The Oakland Raiders."
Who has been the biggest role model for you in your life?
"My dad. He was really telling me about everything that’s going to happen…it’s kind of weird, but all the things he talked about, telling me to be humble and things like that before the process, when I was like in 7th grade. And just for it to happen, and him being there through the whole thing, taking me to camps and everything like that. He’s been like a huge role model."
What are your favorite types of music?
"I listen to rappers like Kodak Black, NBA YoungBoy, things like that."
What is your favorite movie?
"Rush Hour 3."
What is your favorite TV show?
"The Flash."
If you could meet one person in the world, who would that be?
"It would probably be Barack Obama."
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