San Angelo came to San Angelo Stampede games in part because they loved the flamboyant and charismatic running back. In October 2007, he hung up his jersey and assumed the role as the youngest coach in the Intense Football League at 26-years-old. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) Demont Burdine says that football is about character and he is recruiting and developing a team to play as a team, "not a bunch of 'me's that happen to be playing football on the same field." Demont Burdine, head coach of the San Angelo Stampede arena football team. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde)

The San Angelo Stampede Express players aren’t the only team members bulking up during the off-season. Demont Burdine, Southwestern (Kansas) grad and former Stampede player, was promoted to coach the Stampede Express last October. We caught up with him during the off-season to see how he’s preparing to debut the team lineup on Feb. 26—“The day of the new Stampede,” as Burdine calls it.

How’s it been coaching so far?

When I became coach, [some players] still viewed me as a player, not a coach. In the past, people had a problem with taking rules from a guy [they had] played with. Once they saw the path I was going, people understood, like, “this is his job, he’s leading us . . .”

What are some areas the team needs work?

Not every football player is good in the indoor arena. It’s good for guys to come in with an open mind, because when you change to indoor, you have to open your mind.

Outdoor football is unlimited: there aren’t that many dangerous obstacles. But indoor, the field is smaller: 50 by 28, and with a wall always around you. You gotta regulate your speed and time.

How did you snag the coaching spot?

I went to Southwestern in Kansas, for business administration and sports management. My graduation day was May 5, 2005; I was actually playing against Odessa in San Angelo [that day]. And then I played with San Angelo, and was a player coach. I got my input in on the play calling—the coaches were teaching me, but I wasn’t making the major calls.

I didn’t know who the [potential] coaches were, or the coaches pot—all I know is I told Darlene that I didn’t plan on playing football anymore, and if they were searching for a new coach, I’d like to [put my name in for it].

Give us the lowdown on your past injuries.

I’ve had my fair share. My first year, I dislocated the whole right side of my ribcage during our last game; the second year, in ’06, I paralyzed my whole right side in Corpus Christi, and last year I fractured my sternum. And in ’05, I had knee surgery on a Thursday and then played a game on a Saturday.

Did you want to be a player as a kid, a coach, or neither?

That was my dream growing up, because I didn’t come from a “silver spoon” family—football was my escape. We lived below poverty, [I] moved on up, and finally reached my dream.

My dream of being a coach came in my sophomore year of college. My freshman year, I thought I knew it all. But Monnie Lewis, my coach at Southwestern (now in Wichita), told me there was a brighter future [in coaching].

What do you like to do in your off time?

I love watching the History Channel, The Discovery Channel, reading books, anything I can to become more educated. And I like to fish, ride horses, a lot of things.


I’ve heard you’re a guitar player, too . . .

I can pick a string once or twice, but you won’t catch me on any albums or radios. I like giving out wooden guitars to the fans, more memorabilia for the games . . .

It’s something people were tapping into, like “if you come to the game, you can leave with a cowboy hat and a guitar,” more an image for the fans from Texas. I bought guitars and hats, got them autographed by the whole team. And I’ve got one to hang in my football room.

How are you gearing up for the season right now?

Right now we got guys getting ready for the indoor season, right now is their training time. The guys are working out, getting faster and stronger. Not just anyone can make the team this year; it takes more discipline, more determination, more toughness this year than ever.

I’ve been in my recruiting phrase, going from state to state, going to All-Star games, getting the playbooks ready, getting the techniques all ready for when the guys show up.

I try to keep [the names of the new recruits] under wraps, because once you label one guy, he gets all the publicity . . . I have talked to people from Florida, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Kansas, New Mexico, Louisiana, California, and Washington. So I pretty much contacted everyone. And then we got guys coming in from overseas, from Denmark; one guy from France; got a quarterback coming in from Italy. I broadened the horizons, not just state-to-state but worldwide.

On being a role model for the local black community:

It’s a blessing in disguise. You basically gotta live up to [the] job and the community, black leadership, being a good role model, and a person for the community. So it’s a blessing, and . . . it’s a movement in the city of San Angelo.