Hall of Fame
Although Earl Burnell never played soccer before joining the Plattsburgh State men’s soccer program in 1963, after just one season, he became one of the Cardinals’ top players.
The Plattsburgh, N.Y., native was named First-Team All-State and NSCAA Second-Team All-Region in his second season of competing in soccer in 1964.
Earl enjoyed successful seasons competing for the track and field and baseball teams, setting the school record in the long jump in 1964, which stood for years, as well as earning three wins on the mound.
Date of Induction into the Cardinal Sports Hall of Fame:
September 26, 2025
Where are they now:
Earl is currently retired after teaching and coaching at Beekmantown Central School District for 30-plus years. As a teacher, he taught middle school science, and his coaching duties included boys’ and girls’ basketball, football, and track and field. He currently resides in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and has two daughters: Carrie Favaro (57) and Lori Sames (55).
He cites his greatest professional accomplishment as coaching. “We won many football championships at Beekmantown School, and at one time, we were rated the number one school in New York,” Earl says. Regarding personal accomplishments, he names being inducted into Beekmantown Central School’s first Hall of Fame Class, being selected All-New York State and Honorable Mention All-American in soccer, and having success as a baseball pitcher and a long jumper in track and field as his greatest achievements.
Favorite Plattsburgh State Sports Moment:
“The first time I entered a soccer game. My track and field coach was also the soccer coach, and he asked me to try out for soccer. The first game I went into, we were playing the Royal Military Academy in Canada. I didn’t know where the center half was, but he told me my responsibilities were to back up the offense when they were putting pressure on them, and when they had the ball, I was to get back and pick up their center forward. I wasn’t on the field for about five minutes, and we had a scramble in front of their net. The ball came out to the top of the box, and I ran and cracked it with my left foot. It hit the crossbar and didn’t go in. About five minutes later, there was another scramble, and the ball came out to the right side of the box, and I cracked it with my right foot, and it hit the crossbar, and it didn’t go in. In my first soccer game experience, I was on the field for five minutes, and I hit the crossbar twice. I never came out of a soccer game again. I did things that people who played soccer all their lives can do, and was recognized for it a year later.”
