Senior running back Thomas Burda wasn’t animated by his debut as Valparaiso’s full-time starter at the position.

Despite gaining major experience in the previous two years, the 5-foot-10, 210-pounder hadn’t opened a season as the Vikings’ No. 1 tailback until this one.

“It didn’t really affect me that much, maybe as much as it should have,” he said. “My parents were all super excited, with it being my senior year. But to me, it was just playing football, doing what I love.”

What did affect Burda was being voted as a captain by his teammates. He was elected along with senior offensive lineman DeAndre Price, senior linebacker Brendan Gaghan and senior linebacker Tommy Ampeliotis.

“That’s something that really helped me a lot to assess, not my new role, but my importance,” Burda said. “When the players selected the captains, they gave their opinions on why this person should be a captain, and the people that got selected got those responses back. It really helped me a lot because it showed the true honesty of what we could do better as a team and what we could do better to help the team.”

Burda pointed to Hayden Vinyard, a 2022 graduate who set the program’s single-season rushing record as a senior in 2021, as a role model.

“I could see from everything he did, all the little things he did, the details, it was almost perfect,” Burda said. “He wasn’t that vocal, but he led by example. I really picked that up because I’m not the most vocal person in the world. I’m trying to fix that.

“But lead by example. Do the right things. Do the right things when coaches aren’t around, when teachers aren’t around. It was an awesome experience to see coming up.”

Burda has been living up to those ideals.

“He’s looked up upon because of his dedication to the team and how hard he works,” Price said. “Burda wakes up before school during the season to lift and put in the work. That’s not even the best part about Burda. The man he is off the field is who people truly look up to. Burda carries so much compassion and kindness to uplift everyone around him. He is a great leader but an even better friend. His personality off the field is what makes Thomas Burda Thomas Burda.”

Valparaiso coach Bill Marshall also noted how Burda has grown.

“Thomas has been an awesome leader for us,” Marshall said. “He came out of his shell this year. He’s always been a hard worker, very quiet. In the weight room, he’s probably pound for pound the strongest kid we have in the program. He works extremely hard at that aspect of it, and he sticks to that. It’s almost religious to him, getting in the weight room, taking care of his body.

“Being elected as a captain, he had to get out of his comfort zone. He had to become more vocal, and he’s really risen to that challenge. He has some other guys with him, but he is without a doubt the leader on offense. He leads through his play, through his demeanor throughout the game, through his positive and uplifting talk to his teammates at all times. He’s never down.”

As far as his play, Burda has run for 1,072 yards and 11 touchdowns and made 12 catches for 90 yards this season.

“Anything that is in his way will be run over, no doubt about it,” Price said. “He has the ability to read the field, make quick decisions and break through tackles like it’s nothing. That’s why his nickname is ‘Thomas the Train.’”

Valparaiso (6-3) begins Class 5A sectional play against Duneland Athletic Conference opponent LaPorte (0-9) on Friday night. The Vikings have won six consecutive sectional titles. That run includes a state championship in 2022, when Burda held a key role as a sophomore, and a runner-up finish in 2019.

“LaPorte is not a game to overlook,” Burda said. “I’m really excited for what our postseason holds, and I’m really excited for what our team can do. I’m really encouraged and motivated since obviously it’s win or go home, especially since we lost at regionals to Merrillville last year. That was an eye-opening experience. Seeing us ultimately come up short, that was hard.”

Burda and the Vikings went the distance in 2022. He ran for 815 yards and 11 TDs as then-junior Travis Davis missed five games with a leg injury before returning for the sectional final.

Last season, Burda ran for 921 yards, second on the team to then-senior quarterback Justin Clark, and four TDs. He took over as the starter when Davis missed the final six games with another leg injury.

“It just goes to show about always being ready and always having that belief and confidence in yourself,” Marshall said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of kids across the country that had their number been called, they would’ve been like, ‘Um, I don’t think I’m ready for that.’ But that wasn’t Thomas. He was mentally and physically ready for it. He was called upon, and he’s done everything we’ve asked of him to this point and beyond.”

Burda did have some reservations as a freshman. After beginning his high school career on the freshman team, he moved up to the junior varsity team midway through the season. Practicing with the varsity team was a challenge.

“I was terrified of those guys on defense,” Burda said of those practices as a freshman. “I was absolutely terrified of those guys. I looked up to them. I still talk to a few of them to this day and get advice. I want to do the same thing to help the younger generation.

“Playing varsity, it’s a lot faster — a lot faster. It comes at you really fast. Seeing the people before me do it well and just being thrown into that spot and excelling, it was awesome.”

Burda drew inspiration from his brother Alex, a 2019 grad who developed into a starting wide receiver as a senior.

“It made me really proud,” Burda said. “I had a sense like, ‘Wow, I have to do this too. I have to do it.’ I look up to him a lot.”

Marshall said Burda has worthily continued the line of running backs during his tenure, from Jackson Kurth to Tommy Burbee to Vinyard to Davis.

“We haven’t missed a beat with Thomas at all,” Marshall said. “He does a great job running between the tackles. He has great vision, being able to see where his cut is, being able to stop on a dime and plant and get vertical.

“He’s been doing it his whole career. You’re a freshman? We’re going to bring you up to JV. You’re a sophomore? We’re going to have you play in a state championship game and carry the load for a good duration of that season — which is widely unheard of, especially as a running back. As a junior, guess what? You’re still splitting reps. But wait, there’s an injury, and now you’re the guy. And this year, he’s taken that torch, and he’s fully become that guy. It’s just been great being able to see him come through the program.”

Burda should have the opportunity to continue playing in college.

“He’s been an unbelievable leader for us, done some exceptional things,” Marshall said.

“No doubt he’s going to go on to do more exceptional things in football and beyond the sport of football.”