Gary Steven Burley (born December 8, 1952) is an American former professional football player who played as a defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).

[6] In 2006, Burley founded the Pro Start Academy, a Birmingham, Alabama-based organization that "mentors young athletes and provides tips on how they can achieve success on and off the football field".

[7] Between 2011 and 2015, Burley survived several life-threatening ailments including cancer, a bone marrow transplant, a bout of salmonella poisoning in his knee that put him in a wheelchair for six months,[7] and the loss of a kidney.

[9] His wife is Bobbie Knight, a longtime Alabama Power executive and the president of Miles College.

[12] He hosts the Gary Burley Charity Golf Tournament at Greystone Country Club to benefit cancer research.