Burkett, William W., Jr.

William Burkett, Jr., despite his thin frame, was an exceptional football player for MTSU (then STC). Joe Nunley states in his book, The Raider Forties, "if ever the Raiders had one destined for football greatness, it was William. His magnificant timing and passing abilities were equally matched by his leadership." He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943. A German sniper killed Sargeant "Little Wille" as he attempted lead his squad through a hedgerow near Brest, France, on August 28, 1944, earning him a Purple Heart.