Hall of Champions recognizes Burrows at annual banquet

The San Diego Hall of Champions honored its 2012 Star of the Month recipients, including Brian Burrows, at the 67th annual Salute to the Champions banquet February 25 at the Town and Country Hotel in San Diego.

Burrows hit 258 of his 275 targets, including 24 of 25 in the final round, to win USA Shooting’s Fall Selection Match men’s trap competition October 12-14 in Kerville, Texas. The 2007 Fallbrook High School graduate qualified for this month’s International Shooting Federation championships in Acapulco, Mexico.

“I think it’s a great honor to be mentioned in the same article and page as people like Alex Smith and Jimmie Johnson,” Burrows said. “It’s truly an honor to be mentioned with them.”

The Hall of Champions selected four Professional Star of the Month recipients for October 2012: Burrows, Smith, Johnson, and Donald Butler. Smith, a Helix High School graduate who spent 2012 with the San Francisco 49ers, completed 69 of 92 October passes for 875 yards and seven touchdowns including 18 of 19 throws for 232 yards and three touchdowns in a Monday Night Football performance against Arizona. Johnson, who grew up in El Cajon and attended Granite Hills High School, was eventually deprived of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup championship but took the points lead in October with a victory in the Martinsville Speedway 500. By the end of October Butler had 46 tackles for the San Diego Chargers, including a sack, along with an interception he returned for a touchdown.

“I think my biggest blessing from that was just being honored with those guys,” Burrows said.

The Star of the Month was the first for Burrows. “I’ll go try to win the next couple of matches and maybe I can get it again,” he said.

“I can’t do it alone,” Burrows said. “I’d just like to thank everybody that has helped me.”

The Salute to the Champions banquet also saw the induction of former San Diego Padres pitcher Trevor Hoffman into the Breitbard Hall of Fame. Hoffman’s father served in the Marine Corps, and Hoffman’s off-field activity included visits to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and purchasing tickets and concessions for Marines and their families. During his acceptance speech Hoffman acknowledged more than his personal relationship with Camp Pendleton.

“When I get to Camp Pendleton I thank the Marines for the blanket of freedom I sleep under every night,” Hoffman said.