SAN MARCOS — Six years after he left the halls of San Marcos High School, Terrell Burgess came back as a Super Bowl champion.
Burgess, a 6-foot, 200-pound safety, lifted the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 13 after the Los Angeles Rams slipped past Cincinnati, 23-20, in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Burgess returned to his hometown to be honored at San Marcos High and with a proclamation from Mayor Rebecca Jones and the City Council on Feb. 22.
“We moved here to San Marcos in 2005, me with four children,” said Ingrid, Burgess’ mother, at the meeting. “You guys have embraced us from the beginning, and we thank you for the support.”
Burgess spent his childhood playing baseball, basketball and football, excelling in the latter and earning a scholarship to the University of Utah, where he broke out during his senior season. He started all 14 games at strong safety, where he racked up 81 tackles and one interception as he helped lead the Utes to the Pac-12 title game against Oregon.
At college, the Utes made two consecutive Pac-12 title game appearances, although Utah fell short in both. Regardless, Burgess impressed scouts on the field and was selected in the third round of the 2020 draft by the Rams.
Terrell Burgess, Super Bowl-winning safety for the @RamsNFL was honored at his alma mater San Marcos High on Tuesday. @TiTaniumT98 pic.twitter.com/6uEqkuFWA6
— K.C. Alfred (@KCAlfredPhoto) February 23, 2022
Burgess’ rookie season was cut short when he suffered a season-ending broken ankle in a Monday night game against Chicago. Burgess, though, was relentless in his recovery and regained his spot on special teams and as the backup strong safety.
This year, though, the Rams made several big moves and navigated the playoffs to reach the Super Bowl, a sort of “home” game for Burgess. He said his family was able to be there.
“It was pretty cool, especially being close to home,” Burgess said of the Super Bowl win. “My family was able to come see me play and I’m just glad we were able to come out with a win. No one expected us to get there and it was a true testament to how our team worked all season.”
@TiTaniumT98 the City of San Marcos has been cheering you on for many years and one of your dreams has come true, you are playing in the Super Bowl!! @AthleticsSMHS is so proud of you for all you’ve done not only on the field but off!! Good luck today!! We will all be cheering! pic.twitter.com/9yoGhBdZOf
— KNIGHTS ATHLETICS (@AthleticsSMHS) February 13, 2022
On the season, he recorded 10 tackles, including five in a 27-24 loss against rival San Francisco in the last week of the regular season. The Rams avenged the loss with a 20-17 win in the NFC Championship game.
The NFC title game featured Burgess and Oceanside native and standout middle linebacker Fred Warner, which guaranteed North County a representative in the Super Bowl.
In the playoffs, Burgess tallied six tackles, including five against Arizona in the Wild Card round, his best performance as a pro.
As for being recognized by the city, Burgess said he was grateful and thankful.
“It really means a lot, especially because I love San Marcos,” Burgess said. “It means a lot that they would take the time to recognize me and the achievements. It took a lot to get to this point. Not just me, but my family, teammates and I’m just really appreciative.”
Quintero recognized
Also celebrated at the meeting was Seth Quintero, a 19-year-old Mission Hills grad who set an all-time record by winning 12 stages at the Dakar Rally — a long-distance off-road racing event that dates to 1979 — last month in Saudi Arabia.
