Patrick F. Burke

Patrick F. "Pat" Burke was a football player, entrepreneur, nightclub and restaurant owner, and operator of a betting service called Vegas One News.[1]

Burke was born on February 20, 1934 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Burke was the captain of his 1952 Lawrence High football team and was awarded the Edward Gregg medal as the top student-athlete in his class.[2]

He spent his freshman year at Cornell University, playing football, and became the Cornell Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Burke transferred to Michigan State University where he was the starting right tackle, both ways, for three years. Burke was captain of the 1956 undefeated national champion Michigan State team coached by the Duffy Daugherty.[3]

He was a first-team all-Big Ten selection and was co-captain along with future Hall of Famer Alex Karras of the annual East-West Shrine Game.

Burke was drafted by the New York Giants, playing one year before repeated knee injuries ended his NFL career.[4]

In addition to his gridiron achievements at Michigan State, Burke was a campus leader, selected as senior class president. He was also the president of the Excaliber, a senior classmen's honorary society, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and the Newman Club.

Burke went on to earn a law degree at Wayne State Law School. He owned the Coral Gables Nightclub in East Lansing, Michigan, Mr. Kelly's on Rush Street in Chicago, Clarke's in Boston and was part owner of a Washington, D.C. restaurant with his former Michigan State teammate and later Washington Redskins player Fran O'Brien.

In Burke's later years he moved to Las Vegas after a brief career in the Hollywood movie business. In Las Vegas, Burke established a nationally syndicated betting service called Vegas One News.

Burke died on February 2, 2011 in Lawrence.