Jefferson Davis Burkett (July 15, 1921 – October 24, 1947) was an American professional football player.
Though his career only consisted of three games before his untimely death, Burkett had caught two passes for 44 yards and a touchdown.
[2] Burkett was suffering from appendicitis after a game against the Los Angeles Rams, who had beaten the Cardinals 27–7, handing Chicago their first loss of the season.
After Burkett's death, Cardinals quarterback Charley Trippi took over the punting duties.
Trippi admitted taking over for Burkett was hard and he thought of his fallen teammate every time he punted in a game.