Before I leave the remarkable legacy of Harrison's Brandon Burlsworth and the film of his life called Greater, now showing in nearly 400 theaters across America, I want to share a few back-story notes about the 22-year-old Razorback All-American who died in a tragic traffic accident on April 28, 1999. Mom and I picked him up at the airport when he came home. He earned first-team All-SEC honors in 1997 and 1998; he was also named a first-team All-American during the 1998 campaign. In this 1999 photo, the locker of Brandon Burlsworth is seen encased in glass in the locker room at the University of Arkansas. Foreign Language Department brings back after-school Harding employees bring families to swim Searcy Police and Public Safety investigate Reframing chapel: administration introduces changes, Student Association celebrates Earth Week. Burlsworth's Arkansas jersey number 77 was retired by the Colts for Hall-of-Famer Jim Parker, but Burlsworth's memorial picture ran on page 77 of the Indianapolis media guide. A "BB" sticker inside the club logo was worn on the rear of helmets that season. Burlsworth was killed in a car accident in 1999 after being drafted . All-American ( 1998) 2 First-team All-SEC ( 1997, 1998) Arkansas Razorbacks No. All rights reserved. Mudd was among the club's personnel who knew Burlsworth the best. A week after the draft, others got a glimpse of the player who drew visible comparisons to TV's Drew Carey. https://t.co/0d1lDS8ST3, Chris Jones (@EnswellJones) August 29, 2019, Tragic what happened to him. The temperature was a balmy 77 degrees. That has to be the bittersweet part for Ratliff. In The Walk-on, which airs Saturday, College GameDay celebrates the annual ceremony of a walk-on player being rewarded with a scholarship by looking back at Burlsworths impact at Arkansas 25 years ago. MB: After we started receiving calls from Hollywood producers, we knew that if the story were told, we wanted it to be told in the most accurate way possible, understanding that its difficult to squeeze 15 years into two hours. Brandon Vaughn Burlsworth was born in Harrison, Arkansas, on September 20, 1976 to Leo Burlsworth and Barbara Burlsworth. Brandon Burlsworth excelled in high school football, making All-Conference and All-State. Burlsworth 22 a third round draft pick of the indianapolis colts on april 17 was driving on us. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. After all, UT needed a pass interference penalty to beat Syracuse and were outgained by Florida but still beat the Gators. Mudd went on to scale heights with Indianapolis that included the NFL's all-time winningest regular-season record over a decade (115-45, 2000-09), multiple division titles, two AFC crowns and a World Championship. Chorus travels for Mississippi performance, Football alumni receive Division II honors, College of Education introduces new course. Though Burlsworths story is not new, Budman felt that he should approach the story, with reporter Tom Rinaldi, as if every viewer was learning about it for the first time. The team broke into laughter. Aaron Burlsworth, Harding sophomore and nephew of Brandon Burlsworth, said his family wanted to make sure faith was directly involved in the film, as it was a huge part of Brandons life. know it would happen, but Brandon knew all his life that God had placed His hand upon him and that he would be nowhere without God. We are very happy with the way it turned out. This is the life story of Brandon Burlsworth who is probably best known as a former offensive lineman for the Arkansas Razorbacks from 1995 - 1999 (which is also the same time I went to the University of Arkansas). Burlsworth was killed 15 miles from home on a road he had traveled for years when his car drifted into the on coming lane. "He stayed around the house and left for Fayetteville on Tuesday," Vickie says. "He'd be completely blown away by all this attention focused on him. When he got to Arkansas as a walk-on, he knew that he had to put everything he had into it and more. Morgan Casting describes "Greater" as the unlikely career of Brandon Burlsworth is perhaps the greatest walk-on story in the history of college football.Known for his distinctive thick black glasses and resemblance to the 1990s incarnation of Drew Carey, the small-town Burlsworth had always . (Zac Budman/ESPN), The Burlsworth Award trophy (Zac Budman/ESPN), Ruettiger, the famed former Notre Dame football walk-on], ESPN Producer Michelle Rosenhouse Makes the Most of Memorable Moments, Journalism Showcase: SC Featured Highlights Cheyney States Remarkable 1982 Womens Basketball Team, Inside ESPN Marketings XFL Spot Bring It In, Journalism Showcase: SportsCenter Reporter Dives Into Growth of Girls Youth Flag Football. Candidates compete for Searcy mayor as Volleyball finishes record-breaking season at NCAA Thundering Herd welcomes high school guest Megias leads womens cross country team Basketball teams start seasons with high Community organization holds sixth annual Thankfulness Students take advantage of nearby concerts. Brandon vaughn burlsworth 1976 1999 find a grave memorial. They said they were at a loss at what to do after Brandons death but knew they had to do something to keep moving forward. We didnt really get a chance until the end of the game.. If its difficult to describe the love for a brother its impossible to explain the loss of a brother. Philip Straub said the call came in at 4:17 p.m. that there was a crash involving a car and a tractor-trailer on U.S. 412 near Carrolton. It was one of those games where we always thought we were going to win, Ratliff said. Billy was great. "It would have been great to see Brandon play, but it wasn't God's plan. That wasn't the way it's supposed to be, and that's what you accept.". He went to mini-camp, but was killed a few days . ( Marty Burlsworth ) From left to right, Brandon Burlsworth, Grant Garrett and Russ Brown pose for a picture in 1997. The program provides free exams and glasses for up to 1,000 preschool-through-12th grade students in Arkansas, and there are plans to take it nationwide. Once his chance, though, Burlsworth seized his opportunity. In Anticipation Of UFC 285 On ESPN+ PPV Saturday, Four Experts Weighed In, ESPNs Renewal Of Three-Year Formula 1 Deal Is Off To A Roaring Start, Starting Five: NBA Today and NBA Countdowns Malika Andrews. We do not target any individuals under the age of 21. 'Burls Kids' is a program where youngsters attend Colts and Razorbacks games, and the foundation conducts camps and prep football awards. Scanlon will be the 14 th recipient of the award, the first being awarded in 2010 to Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt.. A 2-year letterman for the Razorbacks, Kevin . Every national championship team that ever played college football has to have a little luck sometime. While he received some offers from smaller schools, Burlsworth wanted to go to the University of Arkansas and play for the Razorbacks. Harding University in Florence students get Sladers Alaskan Dumpling Co. hosts birthday Students attend annual National Prayer Breakfast. "I took the player's helmet and put it on," said Tice. Accident investigators indicated that Burlsworth was trailing another semi-truck rig on the winding, two-lane highway toward Harrison when he veered left just slightly to check oncoming. After his death, Burlsworth's #77 became only the second retired number in Razorback football history. A UT win would mean the Vols national title hopes would stay alive. "I kept coming back to comparisons with Brandon. When the 1999 NFL draft rolled around, the Indianapolis Colts made the linemans dreams a reality and selected him with the 63rd-overall pick. He wanted to help underprivileged kids with his NFL money. BURLSWORTH, 22, a third-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts on April 17, was driving on U.S. 412 when he became involved in . I promise you that ball seemed like it was there for 5 or 6 seconds.. Sow with thought, you reap in action. When (Greater producer and co-screenwriter) Brian Reindl came to us, we instantly felt a comfort level with him and his desire to tell Brandons story. HEATHER NICHOLS, Everton, Ark. Thats where things were headed as Arkansas quarterback Clint Stoerner lined up under center on second down with just 1:47 left on the clock. During the Razorbacks football history, plenty of great players have hit the gridiron. "He's in heaven now. Burlsworth ran a 40-yard touchdown in 4.88 seconds during the combine, more than any other player. Brandon doesn't start out with all . He had absolutely no quit in him. He died in a car crash on april 28 1999 shortly after he was drafted by the nfls indianapolis colts. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these. The book, Eyes of a Champion, the Brandon Burlsworth Story, was delivered in 2001. Two collisions followed and the life of a wonderful human with vast. Brandon's vehicle collided with an oncoming 18-wheeler, forcing him to re-enter his lane. Its hard not to imagine what kind of player Ratliff would have been had he not been injured so often. Since 2010, the Burlsworth Trophy has been handed out to the best player in college football who started his career as a walk-on. By what name was Greater (2016) officially released in India in English? Dave Hooker started covering Tennessee in 1998. After his rise to prominence at Arkansas, Brandon Burlsworth seemed poised to make the leap to the NFL. FIFA World Cup - Best Goals from Every Angle, Draw for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, FOX SPORTS, SPEED, SPEED.COM & 2023 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. Brandon was elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the UA Letterman's Association Hall of Honor in 2004. Our family chose to turn our grief into something that would make a difference and honor Brandon for the things he felt so strongly about. by Clay Henry | August 27, 2016 at 1:00 a.m. Arkansas' Brandon Burlsworth tells a story to teammates before the beginning of practice at Thunder Field on Dec. 30, 1998 . Suddenly, the Vols had the ball in Arkansas territory with time to mount a more conventional drive. "He loved the coaching staff and grew close to Coach Mudd immediately," said Marty. "Brandon felt very good about getting on the field and beginning the next step of his career. He knew he could be going against Bruce Smith on opening day. He was already getting ready for that challenge.". Two months after the accident, Harrison football coach Tommy Tice told Sports Illustrated, "You had to be careful what you told Brandon. Brandon believed whatever his coach, his mother and his preacher told him was right. He said Ford wasn't enthused and even said Brandon would never earn a scholarship because he wasn't the type of player they were looking for.
How To Remove A Plaster Stuck To A Wound, How Did Lesley Sharp Lose Weight, Articles B