Ron Burton, 67; Football Player Founded Youth Sports Camp
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Ron Burton, 67, a running back who was the first player drafted by the then-Boston Patriots in the American Football League in 1960, died Saturday in Boston of bone cancer.
Born in Springfield, Ohio, Burton was a star halfback and two-time All-American at Northwestern from 1957-59. He was later elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Burton was drafted by the Patriots as well as the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and Ottawa of the Canadian Football League.
He played for the Patriots for six seasons and gained 1,536 yards on 429 carries, caught 111 passes for 1,205 yards and scored 19 touchdowns.
After retiring from football, Burton worked as a public relations executive for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company. In the mid-1980s, he founded the Ron Burton Training Village, a sports camp that attracted underprivileged youths from around the country.
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