- This event has passed.
Burlsworth Trophy Ceremony
December 5, 2022
The Burlsworth Trophy has announced its three finalists for 2022. Presented annually to the Most Outstanding Player who began his career as a Walk-On, this year’s winner will be announced Dec. 5 at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.
Finalists include:
- Purdue’s Aiden O’Connell has passed for more than 2,600 yards with 18 touchdowns for the Boilermakers this fall.
- Georgia’s Stetson Bennett – After earning MVP honors in the CFP Championship game win against Alabama last season, Stetson is having another banner season as the Bulldogs make another run at a CFP title.
- Troy’s Carlton Martial set the all-time NCAA FBS career record for tackles. Carlton is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation in tackles with 104 total stops with 11.8 per game.
When Brandon Burlsworth arrived on campus in 1994, he had no money, no famous last name, and absolutely no Division 1 scholarship offers. Brandon not only earned a scholarship, but became team captain, All-SEC 1997-1998, First Team All-SEC 1998, Football News First Team All-American in 1998, and the first All-American from the University of Arkansas in a decade. He was also named to the All-SEC Academic Honor Roll every year from 1995-1998 and was the first football player in the entire history of his university to earn a Master’s degree “before” playing his last game. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the 63rd overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft. After minicamp, he was projected by his coaches to start as a rookie. Unfortunately, Brandon was tragically killed in a head-on automobile collision just 11 days after the draft.
In 2010 The Burlsworth Trophy, sculpted by Raymond Gibby of Nobility Bronze was created to honor the achievements and successes of the Walk-On athlete.
Notable past Trophy winners include Heisman award winner Baker Mayfield, Hunter Renfrow, wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders, and most recently, Arkansas’ own, Grant Morgan.
Sponsorship and tickets for the Dec 5 event can be found at http://burlsworthtrophy.com/.