UW-Whitewater football defensive lineman Matt Burba has excelled in both athletics and academics during his time with the football program. Burba has earned the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) scholastic honor roll twice as well as being a consistent key contributor and leader on the football team.

“Being at Whitewater has done a whole lot for me,” he said. “It has taught me so many valuable lessons and I’ve met so many friends through sports and being at Whitewater.”

Although he started his career with the global pandemic in 2020, Burba said he “wouldn’t trade it for the world.” 

As a cornerstone of the Warhawk football program, the Lake in the Hills, Illinois, native has recorded over 100 total tackles, 23 tackles-for-loss and 11.5 sacks. But, he shared that as an athlete at Whitewater he learned more than just football. 

“We always talk about pounding the rock, getting one percent better everyday and getting closer to the team,” Burba said. “I can take that anywhere and use it during life – getting one percent better everyday whether it is at my job or at home.”

In addition to the life lessons that he has learned from all of the coaches that have been around the program since he got there, he has also made many lifelong teammates who he also calls his friends. 

“Being able to build connections – being on the football team – is something that will stay with me forever,” he said.

During his over four years as a member of Warhawk football, Burba’s defensive unit has adopted the moniker “the dark side.” He explained how it puts the members of Whitewater’s defense in the proper mental state to perform the way they need to in order to win games. Being part of the dark side, he said, means for the Warhawk defenders to make themselves the villains of the game or the disruptors – most of all, a nuisance for the opposing offense.

“Dark side is a thing we have on the defense, we always want to be the villain in a sense,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in our physicality, discipline and being fast.”

Burba explained that it also helps to bring the players on the defense together as one unit.

“It also means to be a part of something bigger than yourself and to play with a great defense.”

Despite Whitewater underperforming their usual expectations this season, Burba said his mindset has not changed. He added that it is useless to compare your teams to teams of the past and it is important to stay focused on the next matchup.

Whitewater will play their final game of the season on the road Saturday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. against UW-Eau Claire.