Brandon Burlsworth

Brandon Vaughn Burlsworth ( born September 20, 1976 in Harrison, Arkansas; † 28 April 1999 in Alpena, Arkansas ) was an American football player. He played from 1994 to 1998 as an offensive lineman for the team of the University of Arkansas and was committed in April 1999 by the Indianapolis Colts, but he died before the start of his professional career in a traffic accident. Named after him is the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded since 2010. To the most outstanding college football player like Brandon Burlsworth began his career as a so-called walk- on player with no athletic scholarship

Life

Brandon Burlsworth was born in 1976 in Harrison, Arkansas, where he also completed high school. He began in 1994 to study at the University of Arkansas, where he a bachelor's degree in Marketing Management in December 1998 and in 1997 received a master's degree in business administration.

During his studies, he played offensive lineman for the Arkansas Razorbacks, the college football team of the University. At the beginning of his career, he first counted thereby designated as a walk -on reserve players without athletic scholarship. However, he later received a scholarship by his performance and was from 1996 in three seasons and 34 consecutive games for the starting lineup of the team. In his last season for the Arkansas Razorbacks, he was also voted All-American in 1998. He was the first football player in the history of the university, in addition to a Bachelor's also earned a master's degree before his last game.

In April 1999, he was selected in the draft of the National Football League ( NFL ) in the third round by the Indianapolis Colts. Eleven days later, shortly after he took part for the first time at a training camp with the team, he was killed in a traffic accident on Highway 412 near Alpena, Arkansas died.

Commemoration

In memory of Brandon Burlsworth the University of Arkansas confers since 1999 under the name Brandon Burlsworth Memorial Scholarships annually 18 scholarships in the amount of 5,000 dollars to students with outstanding academic achievements as well as a scholarship in the amount of $ 10,000 to the best walk- on players of the football team. The Rotary Club of Springdale, Arkansas donated 2010 Burlsworth Trophy for the best college football player who began his career as a walk -on.

Brandon Burlsworths shirt number 77 is no longer awarded for the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Indianapolis Colts played in the 1999 season with his initials "BB" on the helmets of all players. He was inducted posthumously into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, in March 2011, he was first nominated for inclusion in the College Football Hall of Fame.

In 2001 appeared under the title "Through the Eyes of a Champion - The Brandon Burlsworth Story" a book about the life of Brandon Burlsworth. A film version of his life story is planned and is expected to be published in autumn 2012.