Personal
- Parents are Andrew and Wealtha Burgess
- One of six children
- Married in the summer of 2007
- Served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Spokane, Wash.
- Pre-business management major
Before BYU
SNOW COLLEGE
- Sam Burgess played at Snow College (Utah) as a freshman prior to his mission and led the Scenic West Athletic Conference in three-point accuracy in 2001-02, making 49 percent (95-of-192) of his long-range attempts while shooting 53 percent overall from the floor
- Shot 79 percent from the free-throw line
- A second-team All-SWAC Region 18 selection as a freshman, Burgess finished seventh in the league in scoring at 17.2 points per game
LONE PEAK HIGH SCHOOL
- Was a first-team all-state athlete in three sports (basketball, football and baseball)
- Earned the 2001 Salt Lake Tribune Utah Male Prep Athlete of the Year
- Three times all-state in basketball, including first-team recognition his junior and senior seasons
- Led Lone Peak to the state title his senior year, averaging 18 points and four rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the floor
- Twice earned all-state accolades as a baseball pitcher and outfielder/first baseman while helping the Knights win back-to-back state championships in 2000 and 2001
- A first-team all-state selection in football his senior year, Burgess quarterbacked Lone Peak to the Utah 4A quarterfinals and a 9-2 record, amassing 1,771 total yards with nine rushing and nine passing touchdowns.
Career Honors
- 2008 Team Co-Captain
- 2008 Most Inspirational Player (team award)
- 2008 Best Conditioned Perimeter Player (team award)
- 2007 Competitive Spirit Award (team award)
- 2007 Best Conditioned Perimeter Player (team award)
- 2007 Academic All-MWC
- 2006 Best Conditioned Perimeter Player (team award)
- 2005 Academic All-MWC
Summary
Sam Burgess is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound shooting guard who played in 93 games for BYU over three years after transferring from Snow College prior to the 2004-05 season. An excellent shooter and good defender, Burgess made a significant impact on BYUs 27-8 Mountain West Conference Championship team in 2007-08, starting every game as a senior. The team co-captain increased his scoring total from his junior year by 5.1 ppg while averaging 17.5 more minutes per contest, totaling 8.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest. Burgess played in 31 of 34 contests for the Cougars during their 2006-07 Mountain West Conference Championship campaign. He played in 27 of 30 games for BYU in 2004-05 before redshirting in 2005-06. As a freshman at Snow, he averaged 17.2 points per game and led the Scenic West Athletic Conference in three-point accuracy in 2001-02, making 49 percent (95-of-192) of his long-range attempts while shooting 53 percent overall from the floor. After playing at Snow, he left to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Spokane, Wash., returning in May 2004. Burgess prepped at Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah, where he was a first-team all-state athlete in football, basketball and baseball.
- Played in 27 of 30 games, making one start and averaging 2.1 ppg and 0.9 rpg
- led the team in steals once
- led the Cougars with a career-high 9 points, going 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, at Air Force while adding 2 rebounds in 18 minutes
- Played in 31 of 34 games this year, averaging 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.2 minutes of action on BYU's Mountain West Conference Championship team that posted a 25-9 overall record
- Led BYU in assists once with a career-high five against Southern Utah, in scoring once (tied with Keena Young) with a personal-best 15 points against Utah and in rebounds once with a career-best five boards against Xavier in the NCAA Tournament
- Played double-digit minutes in 17 games, including eight of the last 12 outings
- Scored a career-high 15 points on a perfect 5-for-5 performance from the field while tying his career mark with 4 rebounds and adding 1 assist and 1 block in 17 minutes against Utah
- Team co-captain averaged 8.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game
- Started every contest after making just one start in his two prior seasons as a Cougar
- Ranked second on the team in three-point shooting (.424), third in assists and third in field-goal percentage among plyers with at least 60 attempts (.448)
- Increased his scoring total from his junior year by 5.1 ppg while averaging 17.5 more minutes per contest
- Scored in double figures 15 times
- Hit a trey in 27 games
- Averaged 10.1 ppg and 4.2 rpg in last nine games
- Scored 12 points while tying his career high with 8 rebounds in a personal-best 41 minutes at New Mexico
- Recorded a career-best 8 rebounds vs. Utah
- Tied his career high with 5 assists against Pepperdine to go along with 7 points, 2 rebounds and 2 steals in 24 minutes
- Scored a career-high 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field, including a 4-for-6 mark from three-point range, against Idaho State while posting personal bests in field goals made, three-pointers made, assists (5 - tied) and minutes (33)
- Burgess redshirted the 2005-06 season.