Former Air Force basketball player Jacob Burtschi said he will be released from the remainder of his active-duty service committment in the summer and will begin pursuing a professional basketball career.
Burtschi is taking advantage of the force management program, which aims to reduce the number of airmen in the Air Force by approximately 3,700 (for budgetary reasons).
A 2007 graduate, Burtschi was an assistant coach at the academy prep school for a year after graduation and since then has served at Schriever Air Force Base as the Bravo Crew Commander for the 11th Space Warning Squadron. Burtschi met criteria for the force management program and will be eligible for release on June 1, when he will have served three years.
“The paperwork’s in final coordination, and everything looks good,” Burtschi said.
“It’s kind of bittersweet. The Air Force has been great to me. It’s been my life for the last seven years. It’s hard to say goodbye, but I was able to serve my country and now I can chase my ultimate dream, which is playing professional basketball.”
Burtschi, a 6-foot-6 forward, was one of the key members of the Class of 2007 that was the common thread in the Falcons’ brief run of success from 2003-2007. He became a fan favorite because of his gritty, hard-nosed and emotional style of play and is considered one of the top players in the program’s history. Burtschi ranks 10th all-time at the academy in scoring (1,205 points) and is the academy’s career leader in games played (125) and steals (196). Last season, when The Gazette unveiled its All-Time Air Force Basketball Team, Burtschi was on the starting five.
Burtschi currently works four days, then has four days off. On his off days he plans to work out in the area or at the University of Denver. Once he is released, he said he plans to move to Denver and work out with players at the University of Colorado, which is coached by Jeff Bzdelik, Burtschi’s coach his last two seasons at the academy. Burtschi said he’d do that for about six weeks, then move home to Oklahoma. He’ll try to play in some tournaments, then move overseas. His agent already is working to find a team for him.
Down the road, Burtschi hopes to play in the NBA.
“That’s the ultimate goal – to come back and make an NBA team,” he said. “But you have to start somewhere, and overseas is where I’ll have to start for a couple years.”
His chances for the NBA are very very slim. He may not even make it in the Euroleague. But I think he has a great future as a coach.
GOOD LUCK JAKE B! You make watching basketball fun!
Jake S., any word on bball players leaving USAFA?
Just think if Jacob could have been allowed to pursue the NBA earlier, what it may have done for a struggling basketball program. If he didn’t make a NBA team the PR for Air Force basketball would have been great.
Jake , good luck in playing pro basketball Tear up the floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love you,
Megan
yet another promising athletic career ruined by the boneheaded policies of the military forcing service academy grads to serve! just think how awesome we could have been at basketball if they let him skip his obligation from the get go!
Timmy, please tell me you’re being sarcastic. Imagine that…”Service” Academies “forcing” their grads to actually, uh, “serve.” We don’t pay tuition, but four years at a great college don’t exactly come free.
If you don’t want to serve in the military, don’t go to a service academy. I wish him well, but if there are athletes out there that want to go pro someday, don’t go to an Academy. Your chances are slim, and the few that actually do make it and have success are very, very rare.
i graduated same year, best of luck buddy. Frankly Ivan doesnt know what hes talking about, you signed up for a time to serve, the company you signed up for asked if you wanted to leave early to save tax payers money. you decided to leave, no big deal, you did it honorably and you did it well! Hope you make pro!!