Science Hill High School

Wayne Burchfield

Wayne Burchfield 1959

Wayne Burchfield was all-conference two years in baseball and football, and was also all-conference in basketball one year. Quarterbacking a victory in 1957 against Oak Ridge is among his fondest memories. Oak Ridge won state titles in 1956, '58 and '59.

Burchfield’s other favorite was his performance in a 10-7 comeback win against Morristown that year. He had a cast on his left hand and couldn't take snaps after breaking a finger in the opener against Chattanooga Central, and said he was only in the game four plays: to kick off, kick a field goal, kick off again and throw a game-winning TD on a halfback option pass to Roy Chatman, who lettered three years at South Carolina.

"L.T. Helton, who went on to Tennessee, was all over that field for Morristown," Burchfield said. "I bet he easily had 15 tackles. But that halfback option was wide open. I think I held all of the passing records until Steve Spurrier had played about six games. But he had that Jimmy Sanders."

Burchfield said he initially signed with Southwestern Louisiana, but enrolled at East Tennessee State instead after six months in the Marines. He played outside linebacker for ETSU and said he was the only All-Ohio Valley Conference player as a pitcher and catcher.

Burchfield, who fondly remembers being a alternating battery with Sammy Broyles at Science Hill, began a three-year career in the St. Louis Cardinals organization in Johnson City in 1961. He started the following year in Billings, Mont., before going to Brunswick, Ga. He played in Winnipeg, Canada in 1963.

He might've had his most fun playing some 20 years of softball for Lonnie Lowe's teams, which were often nationally ranked.

"I sure miss Lonnie," Burchfield said.

Some 'Toppers alumni have compared Burchfield's all-around abilities to another good friend of Lowe's.

"Wayne had that same kind of ability as Steve Spurrier to always do the right thing," said lineman Jule Crocker, who became captain at Vanderbilt. "He could get out of a sack or he'd change a play and it'd work. He was a good leader and we really trusted him."

Burchfield now lives near Calabash, N.C., and last year he won the club championship at the Carolina Shores Golf Club in Carolina Shores, S.C.