Kerry Burt -- one of Waterloo West’s all-time greats, an all-Big Ten defensive back for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 1987, a former state lawmaker and a firefighter credited with saving lives -- has passed away, multiple sources have confirmed.
According to sources, Burt was found unresponsive at his home this morning (Tuesday).
Kerry Burt
Burt graduated from West in 1983, where as a senior for the Wahawks 10 of his 41 receptions went for touchdowns, earning him elite all-state honors. He was named the Rotary Club’s Glen "Doc" Miller Most Valuable Player for Waterloo schools.
He signed with Iowa, where after a season at wingback he moved to the defensive backfield. He played in the Freedom Bowl and two Holiday Bowls.
Burt finished his Iowa career as a four-year letterwinner, 1984-87 and was a team captain in 1987. In his career, he recorded 128 tackles and intercepted 10 passes, earning all-Big Ten honors his senior season in 1987.
The Hawkeyes were 37-12-1 during his tenure.
Following his college career, Burt became a member of Waterloo Fire Rescue in 1997 and over the years was an emergency medical technician, hazardous material technician and firefighter.
In 2011, he was part of a team that received the Governor's Firefighter of the Year Award for pulling girls from a burning house on Courtland Street.
He recounted crawling through a smoke-filled upstairs bedroom and feeling for the trapped children in a Courier interview following the blaze.
Courtland fire: Firefighters talk about rescue
"You want to get those girls out in the fresh air as soon as possible," Burt said.
In 2018, Burt and other firefighters received letters of commendation from Waterloo Fire Rescue for a call that started out with one person suffering from a diabetic problem. The call soon compounded with a caller collapsed from an apparent cardiac arrest. The crew was able to re-establish the man’s pulse and treat the original patient.
Burt was still working for Waterloo Fire Rescue at the time of this death.
Burt was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives, serving District 21 from 2009 to 2011.
While in office, he co-chaired the public safety committee, and served on committees for labor, local government and transportation. He also served on the Rebuild Iowa committee, which was created to deal with the state's recovery following the 2008 floods and tornadoes.
He opted not to seek re-election after he and other parents were charged in an investigation into out-of-district enrollment practices at the former Malcom Price Lab School in Cedar Falls.
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According to sources, Burt was found unresponsive at his home this morning (Tuesday).
Kerry Burt
Burt graduated from West in 1983, where as a senior for the Wahawks 10 of his 41 receptions went for touchdowns, earning him elite all-state honors. He was named the Rotary Club’s Glen "Doc" Miller Most Valuable Player for Waterloo schools.
He signed with Iowa, where after a season at wingback he moved to the defensive backfield. He played in the Freedom Bowl and two Holiday Bowls.
Burt finished his Iowa career as a four-year letterwinner, 1984-87 and was a team captain in 1987. In his career, he recorded 128 tackles and intercepted 10 passes, earning all-Big Ten honors his senior season in 1987.
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The Hawkeyes were 37-12-1 during his tenure.
Following his college career, Burt became a member of Waterloo Fire Rescue in 1997 and over the years was an emergency medical technician, hazardous material technician and firefighter.
In 2011, he was part of a team that received the Governor's Firefighter of the Year Award for pulling girls from a burning house on Courtland Street.
He recounted crawling through a smoke-filled upstairs bedroom and feeling for the trapped children in a Courier interview following the blaze.
Courtland fire: Firefighters talk about rescue
"You want to get those girls out in the fresh air as soon as possible," Burt said.
In 2018, Burt and other firefighters received letters of commendation from Waterloo Fire Rescue for a call that started out with one person suffering from a diabetic problem. The call soon compounded with a caller collapsed from an apparent cardiac arrest. The crew was able to re-establish the man’s pulse and treat the original patient.
Burt was still working for Waterloo Fire Rescue at the time of this death.
Burt was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives, serving District 21 from 2009 to 2011.
While in office, he co-chaired the public safety committee, and served on committees for labor, local government and transportation. He also served on the Rebuild Iowa committee, which was created to deal with the state's recovery following the 2008 floods and tornadoes.
He opted not to seek re-election after he and other parents were charged in an investigation into out-of-district enrollment practices at the former Malcom Price Lab School in Cedar Falls.
Former all-Big Ten defensive back, Waterloo native Kerry Burt has passed away
Burt was the 1982 Glen 'Doc' Miller Most Valuable High School Football MVP in Waterloo for West before going on to be a four-year letterwinner at the University of Iowa from 1984-87.
