At the NFL Scouting Combine, Luther Burden III Still has 'Something to Prove'

INDIANAPOLIS — Before walking away from his podium at the NFL Scouting Combine, Luther Burden III spoke three letters into the microphone; "STP," the acronym for the Missouri Tigers' 'something to prove' motto.

Burden is now looking to take the next step in his career, spending this week meeting with and working out for NFL teams at the NFL Scouting Combine. But he's taking that chip on his shoulder into the pre-draft process.

 "It's just my mentality," Burden said of having something to prove at the Combine, "A lot of doubt is out here, so I wanna prove everybody wrong."

In the months since the season ended and Burden, a junior, declared for the NFL draft, there has indeed been plenty of doubt about him as a prospect. Many have pointed to his drop off in production from 2023 to 2024, going from 86 catches for 1,212 yards to 61 for 876. Some analysts now even see Burden falling past the first round.

There's context to that dip in production, of course, with Missouri dealing with quarterback and offensive line injuries that led to struggles for the offense as a whole. Additionally, after his first All-SEC first-team season in 2023, defenses started paying more attention to the playmaker in 2024.

 "I'm pretty much a game plan for every team I face," Burden said. "It's not gonna be easy getting me the ball. So, I knew that going into the game."