And the rest is history.

Though his teammates went on to play at larger Division I schools, McBurney says he is happy he came to Harvard to play football.

“They play for four or five years,” he says. “What do they have when it’s over?”

McBurney, who is concentrating in economics, spent last summer interning at a Boston law firm.

Still, his passion for football continues to counter a personality that, off the field, is “laid back,” according to senior defensive end Brian Garcia.

“Away from the field, [Matt’s] your typical guy, although not your typical size,” Garcia says.

McBurney also possesses the skill of trash talking, another contradiction of his off-the-field, southern-bred calm. Once he gets on the field, McBurney “flips on the switch.”

“His trash talking does get quite a rise out of the other defensive players,”says Garcia, who normally lines up next to McBurney. “It’s quite funny to listen to with the Alabama accent and all.”

“Yeah, I get fired up,” McBurney says, in his thick Alabama drawl. “I like to talk a little smack.”

McBurney’s play has earned him the right to behave the way he wants despite the disparity between his off- and onfield personas.

“He turns into pretty much an angry guy and takes out his aggression on the player lined up against him,” Garcia says.

Defensive line coach Eric Westerfield agrees.

“His motor never stops,” says Westerfield. “His intensity and effort on the field really elevate the level of everyone’s play.”