Strength Within : Birts Is Both a Follower of Buddha and a Budding CSUN Football Force

Understanding Anthony Birts is a complicated proposition.

He is a 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive tackle who says he can bench press 380 pounds and run the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds. He holds offensive linemen in low esteem and despises quarterbacks altogether.

“There’s nothing like beating the guy in front of you,” Birts said. “No one’s out there to play around. If you don’t beat someone up, you’ll get beat up yourself. Pass rushing, I really enjoy. You know, just to knock the guy’s head off.”

If Birts could spend the rest of his life hammering quarterbacks into a state of unconsciousness, his existence might be one of bliss and, as the Dalai Lama would say, total consciousness.

Which abruptly brings us to the other side of Anthony Birts, humble disciple of Buddha, seeker of world peace through individual happiness, follower of the mystic law.

If there appears to be contradiction and conflict between Birts, pursuer of the quarterback, and Birts, pursuer of Nirvana, he sees none. In fact, the former Baptist who was introduced to Buddhism in 1985 (Hello, Dalai) says his new religion has made him a more focused, more determined football player--particularly in recent weeks. Of all the players participating in Cal State Northridge’s spring drills, the senior defensive tackle, according to Coach Bob Burt, has been most impressive.

“He’s living up to his athletic ability,” Burt said. “Right now, he’s on every pro scout’s list that comes through here. We’ve had three scouts come and they’ve all been impressed with his abilities. He’s turned into an athlete with a tremendous work ethic.”

Undoubtedly, Birts is the only Matador who draws inner strength by repeatedly performing a chant before practices and games. His personal favorite goes like this: Nam Myoho Renge Kyo . Roughly translated, it means “Dedication to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound and vibration.”

Birts recites from a Sutra book, which contains the sermons of Buddha, and chants in front of a Gohnzon , a scroll that he calls “an object of worship.”

Somehow, the ritual makes him play a better brand of football.

“It’s made a major difference for me,” he said, “in my football career and my life.”

Neither of which got off to a blazing start.

By the time Birts entered Fairfax High in Los Angeles, he was distant from those around him and a disinterested student. “I was spaced out,” he said. “I didn’t take drugs or drink alcohol, but I didn’t do any work.”

Football was the furthest thing from his mind, despite his size (at that time 6-2, 245 pounds). He did not play football or even watch it on television. He purposely avoided then-Fairfax Coach Frank D’Alessandro.

“He was so strong and had such good size,” said D’Alessandro, who now coaches at Monroe. “We had to talk him into playing. He was a semi-gang kid. He had to decide if he wanted to be a gang member or an athlete. You just knew if he stuck with it, he’d really be good.

“Had he played three years in high school and made normal development, he could have gone to a big school.”

Instead, Birts missed a full season because he failed a science class. His lack of experience and--to some degree--commitment in the classroom and to the game itself cost him a Division I football scholarship. “Even if I had gone to a big school,” Birts said, “I wouldn’t have lasted long.”

In 1984, he enrolled at Santa Monica College, where he played out a spasmodic two years on the defensive line and in the library. “He was a big-time player,” said Owen Hahn, a Santa Monica assistant. “But he had difficulty focusing on football and classes. When he came to play, he really came to play, but he had trouble with attendance. He missed the bus a lot.”

And, as it turned out, almost the boat.

After sitting out from football for a year and immersing himself in his religion, Birts walked on at Northridge last fall. His troubles with concentration continued while he backed up two All-Western Football Conference defensive tackles--Steve Dominic and Dester Stowers. Meanwhile, at once Burt and Birts were realizing that if the heretofore reticent and slightly wayward athlete combined his substantial playing skills with new-found mental discipline, the mystic law of cause and effect might one day land him in the National Football League.

With Stowers’ and Dominic’s eligibility now completed, Birts is, as Burt says, “a main cog in our defense.”

“He’s made a 180-degree turn from before,” the coach said. “He is working hard, playing well. He’s had a tremendous spring.”

Said Birts, who has one year of college football left to impress professional scouts: “I’m confident. I’m focused. I’m happy. By attaining my goals in life, I can help others. The Buddhism has really helped give me basic training for life. The point of it is to be your best and to gain ultimate world peace through individual happiness.

“And to make others happier.”

Unless, of course, they happen to play quarterback.