The 2025 Senior Bowl will provide an opportunity for NFL draft prospects to prove themselves on the largest pre-draft stage. Alabama punter James Burnip plans on taking full advantage. Burnip recently spoke exclusively with the Senior Bowl and Draft Network to discuss his motivation for accepting his invitation to compete in Mobile, Alabama.
Burnip also discussed what he's striving to prove to NFL general managers and scouts in attendance at the Senior Bowl, his techniques as a punter, how he’d write his own scouting report, and more. Let's get to know Burnip better ahead of his journey to the Senior Bowl.
JM: Where were you when you found out about your Senior Bowl invite and what was your initial reaction?
James Burnip: I was getting some treatment in our room. I got a text from one of our compliance guys asking me to come to his office when I was done. I walked up there and he handed me the Reese’s Senior Bowl box. I was very surprised, because I believe I was among the first invites. I was ecstatic and excited.
JM: What motivated you to accept the Senior Bowl’s offer?
James Burnip: I’m looking forward to the exposure. My parents and I, we’ve been reading up on the Senior Bowl and how big of a deal that is. There’s a lot of exposure. I went through the same punting program in Melbourne, Australia as many current punters in the league. Many of them also went to the Senior Bowl. They’ve gone on to have success in the NFL.
JM: What are you hoping to prove to NFL general managers, coaching staffs, and scouts in attendance in Mobile?
James Burnip: That I’m somebody they should draft to be their next punter. I can put the ball in the air for a long time, and I can punt it as far as they need me to. I can be a positional punter and place the ball inside the 20-yard line. I want to use this opportunity at the Senior Bowl to separate myself from the other punters in this draft class.
JM: We love that. How do you balance the mental aspect of punting with the physical?
James Burnip: I think it’s 80% mental and 20% physical. That’s how I approach it. Of course, you have to be physically gifted in order to punt the ball at a high level. But there’s also a lot of people who could punt the ball well, but they just don’t have it mentally. They lack the mental capacity needed to punt.
You need to have that physical and mental balance when you’re placed in high-pressure situations. I’ve done that at Alabama. Punting for such a huge program has helped me develop my mental skill set. I can perform from both physical and mental aspects.
JM: Is there an NFL punter you love watching and learning from?
James Burnip: I don’t really compare myself to anybody. I like watching everybody punt because everyone has a different, unique approach to punting. I do really enjoy watching Michael Dickson punt. He’s very entertaining. He can punt the ball in different ways that most others in the NFL can’t.
I’m trying to create my own profile when it comes to punting though. I want punters to replicate me at the end of the day.
JM: Fun question before we let you go. What’s on James Burnip’s pre-game playlist?
James Burnip: I like listening to music before a game. It really depends on the vibe of that game. I normally like to keep it low-key. I definitely listen to some country music, or some slower, chill rap to start my day.
Eventually, I’ll pick it up and listen to stuff with a higher BPM [beats per minute]. Maybe some Youngboy NBA, Lil’ Baby, Future. That really gets me going. Sometimes I just like to listen to the sounds of my surroundings before a game and become one with the field, if that makes sense.
JM: This has been outstanding. At the end of the week, what does a successful Senior Bowl look like for James Burnip?
James Burnip: I’m excited to get down there around the prospects who are in similar positions to myself. I have the potential to go to the NFL. I want to be around like-minded individuals. I’m going to perform both on and off the field.
I’m going to punt the ball well in front of NFL evaluators. I want my personality to shine through off the field as well. Hopefully, they see that I’m an even better person than punter.
