Who is Cameron Burrell's brother Joshua? Late sprinter's sibling chose football after track injury
The tragic untimely death of NCAA champion and Carl Lewis' godson Cameron Burrell was deeply mourned by his family and the athletic world. His father Leroy Burrell, who was a gold medalist in track-and-field at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, wrote, "My family is extremely saddened with the loss of our son, Cameron, last night...We are profoundly grief stricken, and thank everyone for the outpouring of prayers and support." Cameron Burrell died at the age of 26 and is survived by his parents Leroy and Michelle and brother Joshua and Jaden.
Cameron's younger brother Joshua Burrell is a star footballer at the University of Houston (UH), the alma mater of both his father and late brother. Despite hailing from a family with a prominent athletic legacy, Joshua found his passion in the football field. He played as a Running Back with the Junior team of the University of Houston, with impressive performances in all the games. As a young student, Joshua had competed with his brother Cameron in track-and-field events. He participated in shot put and discus throw alongside the 100 meter and 4X100 meter relay races — something Cameron Burrell said very few people can do.
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Who is Joshua Burrell?
Joshua Burrell's journey to the UH football team was no cakewalk, especially since his entire family has excelled in the domain of athletics. His father Leroy is not the only Olympic champion in the house, as his mother Michelle Finn-Burrell also clinched the gold medal for USA at the Women's 4X100 meter in 1992 Olympics. Joshua's aunt and Leroy Burrell's sister Dawn Burrell happens to be a national gold medalist in long jump.
While growing up, Joshua witnessed his brother Cameron's meteoric rise to success. The star sprinter became the NCAA Division I champion in 100 meters in 2018. He even topped his father's record of running the 100 meters by 0.01 seconds. He was also a part of the 4x100 meter relay team which won gold at the World Junior Championships in 2012. Cameron's team also won a gold at the 2018 Athletics World Cup and a silver at the 2019 World Relays.
However, there was never any obligation for Joshua to get into track and field, rather his family encouraged him to pursue his interest in other sports. Nevertheless, Joshua did compete in track and field events at Ridge Point High School, until a ligament injury set him back. "Josh, his sophomore year, qualified for the finals at regionals. And of course, Cameron was in the finals as well. (So) it was actually pretty exciting to see them both on the track together. But I felt all along just because of Josh’s body type he’d probably end up doing something else," Leroy Burrell had shared with The Daily Cougar in 2018.
Before attending the University of Houston, Joshua went to the Naval Academy Preparatory School aspiring to join the US Naval Academy. However, he changed his mind after a year and took admission to UH. He is currently pursuing a Major in Liberal Studies, while also managing a record label titled 'Blackhand Records'.
Joshua has not separately issued any statement following the devastating death of his brother. Though the cause of his death has not been disclosed yet, it is believed that he died in a parking garage on August 8, 2021.