UP CLOSE: Sam Burgess

UP CLOSE: Sam BurgessUP CLOSE: Sam Burgess

Nickname: Sammy

Favorite Dave Rose Quote: "Can you Photoshop his mouth shut?"

Something about me that few people know: I love fried chicken.

My favorite scripture: Matthew 16:24-25 (take up your cross and follow Christ).

If I could play another position, it would be: baseball.

How did I spend my offseason: Doing a finance internship in New York City.

How did I select my jersey number: When I was in ninth grade, my favorite football player was Barry Sanders, and the number stuck.

Favorite toy as a child: A basketball.

Before a basketball game I: Imagine the perfect game.

Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving because it's around my birthday, and I love the fall.

If I were hosting you on a recruiting visit to Provo, the most impressive thing I'd have to show you is: The ladies.

The first person I call after a game: My family.

My favorite class at BYU: Guitar.

What is my favorite hobby: ping-pong.

What is my most memorable athletic achievement or moment: Winning a high school state championship.

If I had to give up all my possessions except one, what would be the one thing I kept and why: My scriptures.

Sometime in my life I would like to: Go river-rafting.

One rule I'd change in college basketball: Less timeouts.

What is the best book I've ever read: The Giver by Lois Lowry.

My advice to youngsters: Listen to your parents.

My favorite arena to play in other than the Marriott Center: The Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

The best player I've ever faced is: Rashaun McCants (current Minnesota Timberwolves guard).

Who had the greatest influence on my basketball career: My Dad.

The most famous person I've ever met: Thomas S. Monson (First Counselor in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

If I could invite any people to dinner, who would it be: President Hinckley, President Bush and Barry Sanders.