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Making Monsters: Getting to Know Luther Burden with Coach Kirby Moore · 2nd City Gridiron

• 0:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: All right, welcome back to another episode of Making Monsters.
• 0:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Taylor Doll.
• 0:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're joined today by Coach Kirby Moore.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now current head coach at Washington State congrats on that coach because exciting stuff.
• 0:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know college football is a little crazy right now and you're really busy, but we're here to chat with you because you were the offensive coordinator at Missouri when Luther Burton was there.
• 0:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so we want to chat some Luther Burton and get to know him a little bit in his time at Missouri.
• 0:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: So thanks for helping on.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no, I really appreciate it, Taylor.
• 0:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, that was a huge part of our offensive in Zub and in terms of Luther and it was really cool to see his progression.
• 0:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I wasn't there as true freshman year, right, but then his sophomore year in terms of taking off and really a testament to everything that he did there.
• 0:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: So let's start with that.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: You got their his sophomore season.
• 0:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even his freshman season.
• 0:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: You still saw glimpses of what burden could be.
• 0:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: He had six touchdowns that year.
• 0:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Lead the team when it came to those receiving touchdowns.
• 1:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: But when you got there over to he had over 1200 yards nine touchdowns.
• 1:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously alongside Brady Cook and Cody Strader, who were big parts of that offense to.
• 1:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: So chat a little bit about just how that offense worked and what made it tick.
• 1:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think right away, for me, it was evaluating the personnel and right from the 22 season and you saw the glimpses, right, Luther and with the ball in his hand and just his ability to catch the ball under under five yards and take it 50.
• 1:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right.
• 1:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: And anytime you see that on film, you're like, okay, we got to get this guy to ball more.
• 1:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: And just the things he was able to do.
• 1:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was planning on the outside as a true freshman.
• 1:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: So in the SEC right naturally, there's a lot of press coverage and tight coverage.
• 1:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so there's definitely some learning moments there.
• 1:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then he in terms of his progression, I think the motivation was definitely there.
• 1:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: And really took off right going into his sophomore
• 1:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think with that, right, there were some unique matchups that you can create in terms of second level players and safeties and show that showed up right away through spring ball through fall camp found ways to get them in the back field during the season and you know just looters ability from a yards after catch standpoint it was like oh my gosh, I don't know if I've been around this before right and then in terms of just his ability to make contested catches right because the SEC there's no tighter coverage.
• 2:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: in college football and a lot of those times right he was fine in the way to come down with the football.
• 2:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we noticed right away, early into the season, his first touchdown was a flee flicker.
• 2:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Kind of weird play by Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, but he took it to the house and that was, you kind of saw in that moment what Luther could create.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you mentioned the yard after the catch, that's something that you love to see out of a receiver, being able to create that, his route running this year and being able to separate from guys has something that has been something really fun to watch too.
• 2:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Are all those things just things you saw progress where you already seeing those pretty early on
• 2:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think it, I think it continued to progress throughout his career, right, from his freshman year, right, having that adjustment, Jacob Peeler really, really good receiver coach, right, he had worked with AJ Brown and DK Metcalf at Old Miss, and so those guys working together in terms of right Luther, you watch his high school film, right, he's playing everything from Wildcat.
• 3:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: quarterback to receive her to return her.
• 3:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think just the continuous repetition at the receiver position and then naturally right for him, moving from the outside to the inside.
• 3:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: That was only a benefit and just him having an understanding of right, all right, here's my outside routes from a tree standpoint, here's my inside routes from a tree standpoint and then the detail right within those the margins are really tight right in the SEC so in terms of creating separation and being on the same page with the quarterback and he did a really, really good job of working with Freddie Cook throughout the off season.
• 3:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you obviously you coached with coach drink.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: I love coach drink big fan of him.
• 3:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: When you guys, those two offensive minds put together with you too, how did that work right away?
• 4:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know the offense, when you go back and you look at that, especially in that 20, 24 season.
• 4:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of motion doing a lot of things like that.
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: You mentioned moving him into the slot.
• 4:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: So seeing the versatility of him, how much does all of that do you think transfer to him being able to get things pretty quickly in the NFL?
• 4:18
  [UNKNOWN]: Yeah.
• 4:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's definitely, I think, some positives being in that offense, right?
• 4:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's not just step on the gas and we're playing with tempo and you look at the NFL on the amount of whether it's the huddle, the shifts in the motions and you're trying to create matchups and leverages and access for the receivers.
• 4:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so there was a good amount of that for us, right at Masu.
• 4:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we talked about the the tightness of the coverage in the SEC.
• 4:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that's the best way.
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm a former slow possession receiver.
• 4:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: and so the best way right we can help those guys is with motions and access and stacking the receivers or putting Luther in the backfield.
• 4:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: So there was definitely some benefits there and you look at what Coach Johnson has done right throughout his career and there's a ton of that right with the motions and the stacks and you know trying to help those receivers get free access because we don't know the quarterbacks only got so much time.
• 5:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right, and when we can help those receivers get open quicker, right, we can make sure we prevent those negative plays and right Caleb can get the ball out on time and the same thing for us being with pretty good.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Talk a little bit about Luther as a person.
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: We saw, we've seen the fireiness a little bit on the field already.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: He leaned heavily into the Bears Packers rivalry pretty quickly this season.
• 5:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I don't know how much you saw of it.
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: But he had a little bit of a confrontation with one of the players.
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that kind of bled into.
• 5:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: We love that, though, as Bears fans, you want to see that.
• 5:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: That just extra competitiveness against that team.
• 5:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Was that something you always saw too?
• 5:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Always very motivated, right?
• 5:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: You look at the 23 defense at Masu, a lot of those players are in the NFL.
• 5:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so the competition, I mean, one-on-ones at Masu in 23 naturally, the same things you're talking about, right that was going on in practice.
• 6:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: And nor was talking about practice, execution game day reality like that was awesome because he was practicing just like he was wanting to play versus LSU right on Saturday.
• 6:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the bigger the moments or the bigger the games like the more just Luther
• 6:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right, and you love that and he made those plays in critical moments, right, whether it was fourth and 17 versus Florida.
• 6:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Or it was third, and I don't know how long it was versus Oklahoma, who were hiding made an incredible catch on the sideline, and then you saw the energy and the fire.
• 6:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: And when guys were maybe being a little bit vocal to him, right?
• 6:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And in a negative way, well, he was coming right back out of him.
• 6:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: And not only got him even more motivated, right, for the next drive, and you love that, right?
• 6:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: You love a competitor in him.
• 6:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you see that first hand with the bears.
• 6:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, only 158 yards he had against Florida.
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's all.
• 6:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just 150.
• 6:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so when we go back in it's hit somebody who I you a lot of people mocking him before the draft had him as a first round wide receiver You started to see him slide a little bit.
• 7:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's obviously got him at pick 39.
• 7:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: We were ecstatic.
• 7:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think the value of that everybody knew that He was a guy that could do a lot of that we talked about the versatility.
• 7:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: You talk about all of that
• 7:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, the one kind of concern was that drop off between the year two and year three.
• 7:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Can you chat a little bit about that?
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just yardage wise.
• 7:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you see it make big plays, but people look at the numbers and that's kind of what's.
• 7:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, thank you.
• 7:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: There were a couple of games there early in the season where
• 7:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, you get out in front of people quite a bit and for whatever reason, right, early in those games, you know, Luther didn't have the opportunities and then you're taking out some of the the starters right at that point and honestly shoot.
• 7:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: It starts with me like that we could have done a better job in some specific games of getting Luther the ball, right?
• 7:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I take more ownership on that than anything.
• 8:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I was very, very proud and he was a great teammate, right, during those situations in terms of encouraging our guys.
• 8:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, we had an injury at quarterback.
• 8:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: right so Brady Cook was out I believe it was two games and so with that right he was loving up Drew and in terms of making sure he had tons of confidence going into those games so super grateful and I think you know it was better for everyone in terms of it made us take the next step as an offense as a team and and working through those moments.
• 8:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: I feel like it has to be difficult for an offensive play caller and you were the primary play caller at that time.
• 8:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: So when you're talking about that and with Ben Johnson, Ben Johnson has a DJ more aroma dunes, a Lutheran bird and close to the level and co-comment.
• 8:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of guys that you have to feed and you saw the ball get spread around a lot.
• 8:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: But how difficult is that?
• 8:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because you know, we cheer as fans watching that.
• 8:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: People want to lose their, but there's a lot of things that you're kind of going through.
• 8:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: And mentally when it comes to that.
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: 100% in the defense has to say in the fight.
• 9:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right.
• 9:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: So there's certain plays.
• 9:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right.
• 9:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: You want to get your playmaker touches and then there's certain plays where maybe the defense does something and the ball goes in a different direction.
• 9:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right.
• 9:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so, you know, games take different, you know, in terms of directions of how the defense is playing and the offense, you know, their game plan and just as much as the offense.
• 9:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so with that, you want to be conscious of getting your best players to ball.
• 9:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, the more really good players that you have.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's awesome, right?
• 9:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: They got to defend the whole field and you just talked about the bears and how explosive, right?
• 9:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: They were this season and are going to continue to be.
• 9:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the pretty cool part about being an offensive coordinator, right?
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think it's all right.
• 9:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hey, there's only one guy to get the ball to there's a number of guys and that's helping everyone in terms of stretch in the field and then that's where Luther can have some incredible opportunities.
• 9:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: We talked about him.
• 9:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: He talked about that energy on the field.
• 9:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: One of the things I read about him was, you know, what he does for the community, which is really cool too.
• 10:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: We see these guys and the the players go back home and do stuff for their home towns.
• 10:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he's been very vocal about the hometown not wanting guys to escape the hometown, but kind of elevate his hometown and make it a better place.
• 10:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: That seems like kind of the vibe he is to he has that fiery on the football field, but a caring guy off the field.
• 10:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Did you get those vibes too?
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, right after that would have been after the 23 season before the 24 season, right?
• 10:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: He had his camp back in St. Louis and wanted to make sure in terms of giving back to the community.
• 10:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I know that was ran really well and in terms of his high school being at our seven on sevens.
• 10:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: right at Mazu he would be right there watching those guys and he always took the guys from St. Louis I think under his wing and that's a huge part of the Mazu program right was recruiting the St. Louis area and the Kansas City area and Luther was obviously the biggest of big right in terms of Mazu taking the next step as a program and him flipping to Missouri and everything he did for that program.
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: What was the draft process like for Luther Bird?
• 11:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And like I said, when you go into that, you make that decision to go into the NFL.
• 11:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of the process for the rookies in general.
• 11:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: When they go to you've got combines, you've got protease, you've got the draft that goes, many can't pretty much right away in your starting.
• 11:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: So what was that process like for him, from what you remember just getting to the draft?
• 11:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's pretty wild, right?
• 11:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're going through everything from your training.
• 11:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: You play the bowl game, right?
• 11:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, Luther did not play the bowl game, but right when that's over, you go into your training block, then you go into the combine, then you're getting ready for the pro day, right?
• 11:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Which did a really good job.
• 11:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, with that, then you have a ton of visits.
• 11:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, you know, for me, he actually visited the Saints, right, which my brother, you know, ironically is there.
• 11:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then it's, you know, it's about finding the right fit.
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I would say, you know, Luther going to Chicago.
• 12:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think was an incredible fit.
• 12:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think things happened for a reason.
• 12:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: And whether it's Ben Johnson's offense or Antoine Randallel, right, being the receiver coach and the things that he did, right as a player in the NFL and very recently as a coach.
• 12:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think he's a tremendous, tremendous resource, right?
• 12:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I don't know Antoine from Adam, but just watching what he did with the receivers with the lions and what he's already doing with the guys in Chicago and with Luther, I thought that was going to be a perfect fit, you know, to help him take the next step.
• 12:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, Ben Johnson feels like he was able to build a really good staff.
• 12:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, Declan Doyle, getting an offensive coordinator job calling plays.
• 12:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then you talk about Antoine Randallel, that's somebody that we're terrified to lose because it seems like the receivers love him in Chicago.
• 12:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's a good and bad thing about the NFL coaches that when you talk about it, it means you're doing a good job if your coaches are getting poached, but then it also stinks for us when you start to see all these guys go elsewhere.
• 13:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: 100% but you guys it's about the players right and I think in Chicago right now you look at the youth on offense and just the different dynamics and flexibility that that offense has it's been incredible to watch
• 13:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: How do you feel about the aggressiveness of a Ben Johnson when you talk about those fourth-downs?
• 13:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just play off-wise when you're in a lower down 12 times.
• 13:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: You love it.
• 13:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's a testament to the players, right?
• 13:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: That you have the confidence in them to make those plays and those critical moments.
• 13:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they did that throughout the season, right?
• 13:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 13:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: In terms of that's what got them to where they were at, right?
• 13:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: In the playoffs.
• 13:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's only going to continue to progress.
• 13:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Final one before I let you go.
• 13:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know we've chatted a lot of his strengths and what worked at Mazoo, and what you saw glimpses this year of what type of NFL player he could be pretty quickly.
• 13:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: What do you think?
• 13:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: What if you could name one trait of Lutheran, and what do you think is going to be the reason he's most successful in the NFL?
• 14:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: What trait is that?
• 14:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: competitiveness.
• 14:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think the guys get a back down from anyone and in terms of that's only going to raise his level of play.
• 14:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously it was a part of that first hand CNN at Masu and practice right in 23 and then you saw it in the season of him taking another step.
• 14:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously getting to the NFL you realize, all right, hey, every one of these guys was a star player in college football.
• 14:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's only raised his level of play even more.
• 14:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's got a tremendous, you know, offensive staff around him as well.
• 14:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I think, you know, first hand here, him, first year here, him taking a big step, like that's only going to help him propel into these next couple of years.
• 14:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think a lot of people in Chicago or the cover the the bears are kind of feeling like he may be starting the lean into why to see for number one next year and that's how the bears fans at least feel about them in media so it kind of tells how the thoughts around Luther burden are in Chicago.
• 15:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: But coach, I really appreciate your time.
• 15:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know you guys are busy busy busy people right now.
• 15:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: So thank you so much for stopping by and chatting with me.
• 15:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you, Taylor.
• 15:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks.
• 15:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Have a good one.