Ira R. Herr Athletic Hall of Fame
One of the greatest distributors in Elizabethtown College men’s basketball history, Damian E. Burnside joined the Blue Jays as a freshman for the 1981-82 season. It did not take long for the York, Pa. native to make an impact. He led the Blue Jays with 129 assists in his rookie season, averaging nearly five per contest. Generating success and easy scoring opportunities for his teammates became a staple of Burnside’s game over the next few years.
A 1981 York Catholic High School graduate, Burnside was far from one dimensional. During his freshman season in blue and gray, Burnside also led the team in steals, compiling 72 of them in E-town’s 26-game season. He chipped in with 9.2 points per game, third best of any player on the 81-82 squad.
As a sophomore, the assists continued to roll in. Burnside notched 128 more, while starting all 24 games. Early in the season Burnside and the Blue Jays dealt Delaware Valley a 76-70 setback. Burnside had a stunning 13 dimes in the game, setting what was then a school record for assists in a game. The mark would eventually be broken early in the 2000’s, but 13 assists in a single-game still ranks tied for third in program history. E-town went on to a 14-10 record in 1982-83, with Burnside scoring 7.5 points per game and handing out a team-best 5.3 assists per game.
With his primary role defined, Burnside embarked on his best season of dishing off the rock in 1983-84. He amassed 135 assists in 25 games, setting career-highs for assists in a season and assists per game (5.4). His scoring dipped a bit as a junior to 6.5 points per contest, but the increased assist numbers were a product of that. Burnside’s effort at the defensive end of the floor was just as impressive, where he once again led the Blue Jays with 55 steals.
Burnside’s senior season showcased his consistency, and it was rewarded with the team’s best season during his collegiate career. Under long-time head coach Donald Smith, who paced the E-town sideline for 16 seasons, Burnside led the Blue Jays to a 16-9 record in 1984-85, tied for the second-winningest season of the Smith era. Burnside found himself leading the team in assists and steals at seasons’ end. With 129 assists, Burnside closed his career with 120 assists or more in each of his four seasons.
In E-town’s first Middle Atlantic Conference Playoff game since winning the league title in 1978-79, Burnside scored a team-high 18 points in a first round loss against Scranton.
Burnside closed his 100-game collegiate career with 521 assists, an average of 130 per season and 5.21 per game. He scored 813 career points and registered 235 career steals. Burnside’s career assists and steals stand as program records to this day.
Burnside earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1986. His roots to South Central Pennsylvania have remained long after his playing days at Elizabethtown. Burnside is employed by Maple Donuts, a family business, and continues to reside in York with his wife, Stacie, and four children Luke, Megan, Hillary and CJ.
