Caleb Burke is waiting for a phone call, text or email that could determine whether he realizes his dream of playing professional football.
The Richland High School graduate recently concluded a four-season career as a wide receiver at the University of New Hampshire, being named the Wildcats' MVP Sunday during the athletic program's annual awards ceremony.
A late-season knee injury hindered Burke's ability to prepare for his pro day ahead of April's NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
No free agent offers followed the three-day draft, but that hasn't stopped Burke.
Caleb Burke - University of New Hampshire vs. Holy Cross
University of New Hampshire senior wide receiver Caleb Burke, a Richland High School graduate, runs with the football in front of a Holy Cross defender on Sept. 6, 2025, at the Wildcat Stadium in Durham, New Hampshire. Submitted photograph/Alex Miller.
"I didn't get picked up. I'm waiting for a call from the CFL," said Burke after a Thursday training session in Charleston, South Carolina. "All I need is an opportunity. If I get that, I'll take it and run."
The Canadian Football League teams opened training camp this week and begin the season on June 4.
"I'm just waiting for that call to come in, hopefully soon," said Burke, who noted two CFL teams have shown interest. "I'm keeping my fingers crossed."
'Instilled confidence in me'
Burke has spent the past four months training in Charleston, where he's received plenty of hometown support in his effort to both rehab his knee and continue his football career.
The former Wildcats' 2,000-yard receiver soaks up the insight and counsel from Johnstown native Geroy Simon, a Canadian Football Hall of Fame member who also played receiver.
"He's instilled confidence in me," Burke said of Simon, who finished his 15-season CFL career with a league-record 16,352 receiving yards on 1,029 catches. "I can ask him any question about not just football, but what I have to do in general.
"He's very honest with me.
"Sometimes people are going to tell you what you want to hear and not what you need to hear. That's not the kind of guy Geroy is. He will tell me what I have to hear."
Burke certainly appreciates his South Carolina hosts, former Richland residents Mark and Sally Smojice, and their son Brodie.
"I've been living with them for the past 41/2 months," Burke said of the Smojices. "If I didn't have those guys, I wouldn't be able to want to continue my dream. They're so supportive and I'm so lucky to have them."
'Western Pa. type of style'
That dream lives on despite the obstacles and long odds Burke has encountered.
The 6-foot-1, 202-pounder tore his posterior cruciate ligament against Maine Nov. 22, just before the Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Series playoffs.
Caleb Burke 2026 action UNH route running
University of New Hampshire senior wide receiver Caleb Burke, a Richland High School graduate, runs a route during a Coastal Athletic Association game in 2025. Submitted photo/Katie Beaudrot.
The setback halted a season in which Burke caught 51 passes for 764 receiving yards. He produced back-to-back seasons with more than 50 receptions and 700 yards.
In 43 career games with New Hampshire, Burke caught 152 passes for 2,043 yards and 13 TDs.
"He had a very successful college career. I really like his style of play," said Simon, now the executive director of revenue share management and general manager at his alma mater, the University of Maryland.
"It's almost a true western Pa. type of style," added Simon, also a former CFL general manager. "He's a big, physical kid.
"He can run. He catches the ball well and can run through the catch. He does all the things that will make you successful, not only in the college game, but in the CFL game."
Greater Johnstown High School graduate Simon marveled at Burke's ability to bounce back from his PCL tear in time to participate in a pro day.
"I don't know what his true speed is because he had the injury and didn't really get to test that well at the pro day," Simon said of the pre-draft workout hosted by the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers at Dartmouth University.
"But I think he really can be in the CFL.
"He just has to get in the right system and have a team give him a true opportunity. Sometimes, that opportunity is going to come later – either in the season or even next year – which is unfortunate because I know he really wants to catch on right now."
'A step behind'
While other draft prospects or free-agent hopefuls worked to hone their skills, Burke spent months participating in an innovative and intense treatment to rehab his knee.
"I had a unique situation going on. I had a PCL tear happen at the end of November, which was a setback," Burke said. "When all those other kids were working for their pro day – getting faster, and getting stronger, and getting ready to perform – I was a step behind doing rehab.
"God blessed me with the opportunity to come down to Charleston, South Carolina, to work with a gym called IHT Human Performance. They got me ready to perform at my pro day, not just show up.
"Nobody expected me to even be there."
Burke leaned on his parents, as well as younger sister Isabella, a former three-sport star at Richland.
"I've got to stay in high hopes," Burke said. "I have a great support system with my dad, mom and little sister as well as my family I'm living with down here in Charleston."
'10 hours a day'
Early in the rehabilitation process, Burke said the hours-long treatment with a direct current stimulator used in ligament injury recovery took a toll mentally.
He reached out to his father, former Richland boys and girls basketball coach Greg Burke, for some father-to-son reassurance.
"I called my dad on the third day that I was down here," Caleb Burke said. "I had spent 10 hours in the gym. I said, 'Dad, I don't know if I want to do this. Every day I've been here, 10 hours a day.' "
The younger Burke noted that the relatively new technology reattaches ligaments and repairs tissue. But, as in any form of rehab, time and repetition are necessary to have success.
Caleb Burke 2025-26 UNH head-and-shoulders
University of New Hampshire senior wide receiver Caleb Burke, a Richland High School graduate, during the 2025 season. Submitted photo/Gil Talbot.
"I'd sit there for hours and hours a day just trying to get my ligament to get stronger and reconnect, and build up my muscle again," Burke said. "Long days and short nights. It's a grind."
For Burke, the grind continues. So does the wait for a phone call from a professional football organization. He doesn't mind if that call originates in Canada or the U.S.
"Part of doing what I want to do is knowing that you're going into one of the hardest industries out there, and that it is hard to get in there," Burke said. "It's not a hand-out."
Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.
