Brandon Burlsworth, NFL player. Mens cross-country places 11th at regional Christmas Market features student-owned businesses. What else could I do? 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. Until that point in the game, he had his way with the Vols, including Ratliff. The temperature was a balmy 77 degrees. When I told him to come at me full force to demonstrate my lesson about blocking, Brandon knocked me flat on my back, leaving me dazed for several seconds.". We have a saying in our family, said Marty Burlsworth. The movie tells how Burlsworth, against all odds, went to Arkansas without an athletic scholarship and became an All-American football player and National Football League third-round draft choice. Chorus travels for Mississippi performance, Football alumni receive Division II honors, College of Education introduces new course. (Zac Budman/ESPN), Marty Burlsworth, brother of the late Brandon Burlsworth, is interviewed. check will go to Burlsworth's former high school for its scholarship fund and the other was presented to Arkansas, his alma mater. Brandon was tragically killed in a car accident, crushing all who . "We were in need of finding a guard to shore up the line. We were impressed with the "guy with the horned-rimmed glasses that looked like Drew Carey." 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. 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. His story is the subject of movie that debuts Friday called. They added that they hope the movie raises awareness for what they are trying to do with their foundation and helps make the Burlsworth name synonymous with strong character. 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. They (Arkansas) did a good job of game-planning on us. Former Arkansas football player and Indianapolis Colts third-round draft pick Brandon Burlsworth died Wednesday in a car crash near Carrolton, Ark., while travelling to his home, state police said . We certainly didnt write the script, but we felt our opinions were always welcome. Burlsworth ran a 40-yard touchdown in 4.88 seconds during the combine, more than any other player. Journalism Showcase: E60 Producer Discusses How New Documentary On Undefeated 72 Dolphins Puts Fresh Perspective on 50-Year-Old Story, ESPNs Gymnastics Creative Soars and Brings the Light to Friday Night Heights, Inside The Making Of Andscape Writer Jesse Washingtons MLK Weekend Essay Living In His Legacy, ESPNs Holland Mickle Roars into Action for the Injured Clemson Cub, Whats Your Beef With Jon Jones? He said his familys personal contribution to Brandons legacy was the Burlworth Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping underprivileged kids enjoy Arkansas Razorback and Indianapolis Colts games. He went to Harrison High School and graduated from there. He joined the team as a walk-on and eventually became an All-American . Coach Tice: You know, football's a rough game; it's unpredictable. After his time at the University of Arkansas ended, Brandon Burlsworth seemed poised to realize his NFL dreams. He was killed in a car accident just days after the 1999 NFL Draft. The accident came less than two weeks after the Colts selected him and shortly after he had participated in the team's minicamp where coaches tabbed him as a potential starter at guard. ", "He literally kept his goal focused right behind his nose through his college career.". Marty Burlsworth, Chairman/CEO and founder of the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation, is a resident of Harrison, Arkansas. Life itself, squeezed into 60 minutes in 100 yards. "I remember he was the first college lineman I looked at on video that year," said Howard Mudd, then the Colts' line coach and one of the game's best ever. On Friday, Aug. 26, the movie "GREATER" will be released in theaters. I have a son right now that just turned 22. Even though the linemans life and career ended in tragedy, hes still managing to make an impact more than 20 years later. Cast [ edit] For fans of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Burlsworth has been a household name for years. However, the player some consider the best walk-on in college football history was tragically killed in a car accident just 11 days later. "He's in heaven now. In reality he also had one from Henderson State University. The boy was almost 6-foot-4 and tipped the scales at more than 300 pounds. Two collisions followed and the life of a wonderful human with vast. Secure the best seats & best benefits for next season, and be there live for exciting matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and more of the NFL's best opponents. "I sent one of those shirts to the funeral home and Brandon was buried in it," said Barbara. 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. **CLICK HERE FOR FOOTAGE OF BRANDON BURLSWORTH IN 1999 ROOKIE CAMP**. The NFL Combine begins next week in Indianapolis and will begin to bring more clarity to how teams around the league rate this year's group of draft-eligible quarterbacks. She smiles when she sees the many thousands of children and others who've benefited enormously from the charitable Brandon Burlsworth Foundation and from his once having lived a blessed and honorable life among us. Considering the medical issues, an NFL career wasnt likely in the works. So I read up on his story and the first thing that came to mind is hes Rudy [Ruettiger, the famed former Notre Dame football walk-on], only better. The lineman had returned from the Colts' weekend minicamp. We're going to be fine.' ET on ESPN from Sundance Square in Fort Worth, Texas. He was in the prime of his football career. MB: Brandon was revered pretty quickly for the obstacles that he overcame. There is some footage of the real Brandon after the last credits. Brandon was a walk on turned All American at the University of Arkansas. "At Arkansas the coaches told him one day his legs could be stronger. Well, he ends up squatting 700 pounds.". Burlsworth, whose heavy frame and thick, black-rimmed . While his tragic death may have ended his football career, it didnt stop the linemans ability to change the world. Im not sure what coach Nutt was thinking about, Ratliff said. Brandon Burlsworth, Indianapolis Colts. died in a car crash 11 days after . Greater misses key fact. The Burlsworth Trophy has been awarded every year since 2010. You like to see those kinds of things happen in sports. After minicamp, he was projected by his coaches to start as a rookie. Ratliff pounced on the ball. Certainly, football was immensely important to Brandon, but it was his character and the relationship he had with God that defined who Brandon Burlsworth really was. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. The 22-year-old Burlsworth, who had been drafted by the Colts 11 days earlier in the wake of gaining first-group All-America respects as a fifth-year senior, was involved with a head-on crash with a tractor-trailer around 15 miles outside Harrison and was killed. Reindl went on to say that the 11 years spent making the movie were not about personal glory, but about telling a great story of faith and trust and how to apply them in everyday life. Few of them, though, have followed the same road as Brandon Burlsworth. The story of Brandon Burlsworth, possibly the greatest walk-on in the history of college football. But he loses that control over him and his faith is restored making the carving revert back. What you do in between, determines your legacy, so make sure you give it everything you've got until you hear that whistle. I tell people all the time that if I was still in the game when that happened, we probably would have lost because I just didnt have it in the tank right then, Coleman said. Organizations and businesses prepare for Valentines Gov. It was meant to be.. As tangible as his encased locker in the Broyles Athletics Center, the Burls' kids program and the Burlsworth Trophy given each year to the nation's most outstanding walk on football player,. Brandon the officer told us had collided head on with a semi. The Brandon Burlsworth Foundation will be honoring Kevin Scanlon of Stephens Inc. with the 2023 Legends Award. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. When relatively healthy, Ratliff showed he had elite talent. It was a legendary drive for sure. Eleven days after being drafted burlsworth was killed in a car accident near alpena arkansas on april 28 1999 on his way back to his hometown of harrison after a workout in fayetteville. In fact, Ed, who works for FedEx in Harrison and has three children, even named his oldest son after Brandon. INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts on Sunday remembered Brandon Burlsworth, the team's third-round draft pick who died in a traffic crash before he could take his place in their offensive line. His truck then collided with another tractor-trailer. Phillip was saying Weve got to throw it. Without one D1 scholarship offer, Brandon Burlsworth walked on at the University of Arkansas in 1994. He was on his way back to Harrison, his hometown, following a workout in Fayetteville. Today, The University of Arkansas has created an endowment in Brandon's name. 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 . https://t.co/Ny448gVZWB, A really cool story by @ADavidHaleJoint on @GeorgiaTechFBs @pharvin27 and his role as a groundbreaker and an inspiration to other young punters. Coleman had seen the suffering Ratliff had been through. In this 1999 photo, the locker of Brandon Burlsworth is seen encased in glass in the locker room at the University of Arkansas. MB: After Brandons death, it was rough at first and I certainly struggled. After being six feet tall and weighing 200 pounds as a senior at Harrison High School in 1993, Burlsworth grew almost three inches and added 30 pounds by the following spring. I was high as a kite. The Harrison, Arkansas, native walked on and became a three-year starter, All-American and NFL Draft pick. It was tough. Theyd risen to No. On the line, Tarik Glenn and Adam Meadows were at tackles. Steve McKinney was one guard. Jeff Saturday was a street free agent, and Burlsworth could have helped the guard position for years. But that same night, April 28, Mudd received a phone call from a newspaper reporter, asking him, "Have you heard about Brandon Burlsworth?" Burlsworth had been killed in a car accident. Q: What message do you want fans to take from this movie? Honors College announces new faculty fellow. "I still believe he'd have had become one of the better guards in the NFL," said Mudd. The offensive guard had been named an All-American and a two-time All-SEC First Team player. We always beat those guys. Why did he have to die when he had everything to live for? See production, box office & company info, Well-done and inspiring faith-based movie, Mike & Mike: Episode dated 23 August 2016. Tennessee is only one of a handful of SEC football states with legalized sports betting. You want to hear from the pertinent voices, the people that were closely involved and related to Brandon played with him, coached him and raised him. Billy Ratliff had every opportunity to give up during that game because that kid was giving him the business, the entire game.. 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). Literally. Said Martin, It was really good for us as a team to win in the fashion we won. ESPN NHL Production Coordinator Camille Bova Does it All for the 2023 NHL Stadium Series in Raleigh, N.C. Billy was great. https://t.co/UV3TEAGddV, Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) August 29, 2019, @espn Amazing photo and article. UT took over at the Hogs 43-yard line with just 1:43 left. Q: What was your involvement with the movie process from the beginning until now? He was selected in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts. This book is the inspiring biography of a local boy who makes good. A&P Commission approves funding for robotics Campus Life introduces Cotton Candy Friday. Its hard not to imagine what kind of player Ratliff would have been had he not been injured so often. . That has to be the bittersweet part for Ratliff. Brian Reindl, writer and producer of Greater, said he loved the opportunity to tell such an incredible story in his first-ever production. 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. Safety Fred White didnt see it that way. After working 11 years on his Brandon Burlsworth biopic Greater, Reindl is within days of seeing his dream project open on 400 to 450 screens across the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest next week.. Burlsworth was an All-American football player for the University of Arkansas, who died tragically in an automobile . 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. We got the ball back. https://t.co/FFBoin68fO, Subscribe to our newsletter to get daily updates, Tom Rinaldi interviews Barbara Burlsworth, mother of the late Brandon Burlsworth. The foundation encourages a strong faith, character, and sportsmanship, developing positive values, and a life pattern that would exemplify Doing It The Burls Way.. Brandon Vaughn Burlsworth was born in Harrison, Arkansas, on September 20, 1976 to Leo Burlsworth and Barbara Burlsworth. There was only one problem. Wed, 09/08/2021 - 15:05. Brandon burlsworth dies on arkansas highway after head on collision with tractor trailer. 'Burls Kids' is a program where youngsters attend Colts and Razorbacks games, and the foundation conducts camps and prep football awards. On the practice field, a dedicated and fully-focused Burlsworth did not remove his helmet or unbutton his chin strap. 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. Some called the Vols lucky after the Arkansas game. That has to be the bittersweet part for Ratliff. Facebook gives people the power. 20 college football teams we aren't sold on in 2023, SEC Basketball Power Rankings: Mizzou shocks Tennessee, Alabama downs Auburn and more, SEC Basketball Power Rankings: Alabama stays unbeaten in SEC play, Tennessee outlasts Auburn and more, SEC Basketball Power Rankings: A new top team emerges, Alabama loses in blowout fashion, Mizzou lights it up again. The Colts honored the Burlsworth family on opening day in 1999 with a framed jersey number 66. He could finally reap the rewards of everything he put into the game all the training, all the schooling, all the dedication, all the hard work. He definitely was, Coleman said. The foundation also runs football camps and presents several awards and scholarships. "GREATER" tells the story of Burlsworth, a former college walk-on, who would go on to earn All-America honors at the . He is a great story about a guy who overcame huge obstacles through hard work, determination and perseverance. Its namesake was an Arkansas offensive lineman from 1995 to 1998. Miranda Valles, 21, died in a motorcycle accident over the weekend on I-290. During the Razorbacks football history, plenty of great players have hit the gridiron. FAYETTEVILLE There is a great . I never lost my faith and that first night, after everyone had gone home, I grabbed my wife and my moms hand and we prayed. Aaron Burlsworths parents, Marty and Vickie Burlsworth, are in charge of the foundation and its numerous roles from taking kids in poor financial situations to games to getting them quality eye care. 1976 April 28, 1999) was killed in a car accident near Alpena, Arkansas, on . He went to mini-camp, but was killed a few days . Sow with action, you reap a habit. Hollywood keeps making movies about superheroes and people who arent heroes at all, but here is a real life hero that my kids can look up to.. Brandon burlsworth a second team all america guard who was recently drafted by the indianapolis colts was killed last night when his car collided with a tractor trailer rig near carrolton ark. Do it the Burls way: Have character. Also not included in the film is that Brandon and Marty also have a brother named Grady. College GameDay Built by the Home Depot airs Saturday at 9 a.m. During his UT career, Ratliff suffered a severe neck injury, two torn knee ligaments and serious shin splints. After an exhaustive, deliberate process, Colts Owner and CEO Jim Irsay and general manager Chris Ballard were in agreement: Shane Steichen was the top candidate for the team's head coaching position.