Brandon Vaughn Burlsworth (September 20, 1976 - April 28, 1999) was the offensive lineman for Razorbacks Arkansas football teams from 1995 to 1998. He joined the team as a player and eventually became All-Americans. He is famous for his thick sunglasses and his resemblance to comedian Drew Carey.
Video Brandon Burlsworth
Soccer career
Burlsworth graduated from Harrison High School in 1994, where he was an All-State selection, and was a soccer player recruited at the University of Arkansas, despite the fact that he had offered scholarships from several smaller universities. After he redshirted his first year (1994), Burlsworth transformed his chubby fat into a powerful 260 lbs lb, and over the next two years, built himself back up to 300 lbs of muscle offensive guard. In the sophomore season in 1996, he had earned a scholarship and an early position as a right guard on the offensive line.
Before his junior season in 1997, he was chosen to be one of the team captains. Burlsworth's efforts earned him an All-SEC award for the first team in 1997 and 1998, and he was selected for the All-American College Football Team 1998. He is the first All-American Arkansas player since 1993, and their first player was elected to the first squad team since 1989. He has also been named the All-SEC Academic Honor Roll every year since 1995-1998. Burlsworth played in two Razorback soccer teams of the Western Division SEC division (1995, 1998).
Burlsworth graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor's degree and a master's degree. He is the first Razorback footballer to finish his master's degree before playing in his final game, 1999 Citrus Bowl.
Shortly after his death, the Burlsworth jersey number, 77, was permanently stopped in a ceremony at the first home game of the Arkansas season 1999. Only the second number ever retired (the other is number 12, retired in honor of Clyde Scott) by the University of Arkansas. The Burlsworth locker in the Razorback dressing room is wrapped in glass, preserved for future players and fans, in his honor.
Burlsworth was elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Hall of Honor from the University of Arkansas Letterman in 2004.
In 2013, Bleacher Report named Burlsworth # 1 Largest Walk-On of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Era.
Burlsworth was selected in round 3 (63rd overall) from the 1999 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts. After attending the minicamp Colts, the coaches were impressed enough to pencil him as a projected starter in the offensive bodyguard right.
Maps Brandon Burlsworth
Death
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.
"Burlsworth's Ford trimmed the upcoming 18 wheels, turned back into its lane and then hit the head of another tractor-trailer The stretch around Carrollton where the accident happened was not too rough A state police report said that 'for unknown reasons ', Subaru Burlsworth drove left from the center line and hit the left front fender from the tractor-trailer.After returning to the track briefly, the car crossed the center line again and crashed into the second tractor-trailer. "
She was buried on May 2, 1999, at Gass Cemetery in Omaha, Arkansas.
Tributes
- Houston Nutt, Arkansas, Razorback Head Football Coach from 1998 to 2007, started the saying, "Do It With Burls", a saying that means doing it the right way, even when nobody sees. The saying is the motto of the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation.
- Brandon's # 77 shirt was retired at the University of Arkansas. This is just the second retired soccer jersey in school history.
- The lockers are enclosed in a glass case in the Razorback locker room.
- The Harrison Youth Center in Harrison, Arkansas, was renamed Brandon Burlsworth Youth Center in May 1999.
- The Indianapolis Colts wear their initials, BB, on their helmets for the 1999 season.
Brandon Burlsworth Foundation
After his death, family and friends set up the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation to honor his work ethic and Christian values. The mission of Christian organizations is to support the physical and spiritual needs of children, especially children with limited opportunities. The Foundation logo prominently featured Brandon's unique black-rimmed spectacles.
Burls Kids
Today, through the Burls Kids program, Burlsworth Foundation provides opportunities for disadvantaged young people to attend Razorback and Colts football games. Since 2000, the Foundation has purchased 30 tickets to every football game in Arkansas Razorbacks. Tickets are distributed through the statewide Razorback Club. Children are a big part of the foundation. The children were given official Burls Kid shirts and replica glasses similar to what Brandon was wearing in the field.
The Eyes of a Champion
In 2007, the "Eyes of a Champion" program began. The Brandon Burlsworth Foundation, in partnership with the Walmart/Sam Optics Department and independent optometrists in Arkansas, provides eye care to thousands of pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade students. Particularly they come from working families who can not afford to pay extra like eye care and are not eligible for a state funded program. Applications should be submitted by a school nurse or counselor and available in English, French, and Spanish.
Soccer Camp
The Brandon Burlsworth Football Camps are for children who go to grade 3 to grade 9. They are held every summer in F.S. Garrison Stadium at Harrison, Arkansas, and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. Children are given the opportunity to learn from former Razorbacks. The previous participants include Anthony Lucas, Clint Stoerner, Joe Dean Davenport, Madre Hill, Grant Garrett, Russ Brown, Barry Lunney Jr., Chad Abernathy, Jeremiah Washburn, Michael Smith, Lucas Miller, and others. Participants learn soccer skills but more importantly, they are taught throughout the day about the character, attitude, morale, priority and desire to do so "The Burls Way."
Scholarships and awards
Each year, the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation issues awards and scholarships at different levels of the school. Eighteen students at the University of Arkansas are mainly from small towns and who are characterized by academic "achievers" receiving $ 5,000 scholarships. In addition, a Razorback footballer who started his career as a player, but later earned a football scholarship, honored as Burlsworth Athletic Scholar this year. Students are selected by the Arkansas University Scholarship Committee and recognized in a ceremony in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
High School awards include Brandon Burlsworth High School Football Awards. Every high school soccer coach in Arkansas has the opportunity to nominate one player from the team. The players received a placard and a copy of "Through the Eyes of a Champion, The Story of Brandon Burlsworth" signed by Brandon's mother Barbara Burlsworth.
The Brandon Burlsworth Championship Award is presented at the state football championship of Arkansas to one player from each team for above and beyond expectations.
The Burlsworth Character Awards are awards and national sportsmanship in high school soccer. The prize recipients are announced at the end of the spring after the fallen football season.
The Brandon Burlsworth Award is awarded annually to a male and female athlete at Harrison High School and the University of Arkansas that exemplifies the strength of character and work ethic known as "The Burls Way".
In 2010, Burlsworth Trofi was created and named in his honor. This award is given annually to the most prominent FBS Division football soccer player who started his career as a walk-on.
Biography
Messages
In 2001, the book Through the Eyes of a Champion: The Story of Brandon Burlsworth written by Jeff Kinley was released. This book is praised for its authentic and inspirational portrayal of Brandon's story. This book contains a foreword by the former Arkansas University Athletic Director, Frank Broyles, and that is the inspiration for the film (see below). The book was re-released in August 2016 as a tie-in with the film, renamed Greater: The Brandon Burlsworth Story .
Movies
A scenario called Greater: The Brandon Burlsworth Story is written based on the book. Brian Reindl, a former real estate investor and a graduate of the University of Arkansas, spent eight years working on the scenario. A self-described "walk-on filmmaker", Reindl decides to finance and produce the film.
David Hunt, who also helped Brian write the screenplay, directed the movie and Gabe Mayhan was the Director of Photography. Score for the film by Stephen Raynor-Endelman with Andrea Von Foerster as Music Supervisor. Production Designer Lucio Seixas and Costume Designer is Keri Lee Doris. Morgan Casting Company was hired to cast the film and began holding an open casting call in March 2013 in Fayetteville, Arkansas; Little Rock, Arkansas; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Canton, Mississippi. The casting director is Stephanie Holbrook, C.S.A. The film is produced by Brian Reindl with Co-Producer Tim Duff and Executive Producers Brian Reindl and Neal McDonough.
Filming starts on Monday, May 6, 2013, in Fayetteville, Little Rock and Farmington, Arkansas, with a six-week production shoot. Larger originally had a U.S. theater release date. which is scheduled for January 2016 which was later moved to summer 2016 starring Neal McDonough, Leslie Easterbrook, Michael Park, Nick Searcy, Quinton Aaron, M.C. Gainey, Fredric Lehne, Battle of Texas, Wayne Duvall, and Christopher Severio as Brandon, as well as a cameo by author Jeff Kinley.
On January 16, 2016, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, hosted an exclusive screening of Greater . John Randle and Aeneas Williams, both members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, participated in an interactive roundtable discussion after the screening.
The film was originally scheduled for January 29th release date. However, on January 21, 2016, Hammond Entertainment, LLC announced that the Greater release will be relocated to Summer 2016. The press release stated that the change was due to "[o] outstanding positive response from the screening audience and the desire of national theater chain to show it in more locations ".
Official official release date of August 26, 2016, announced on Tuesday, August 16, 2016, via film website and official Twitter account. The Northwest Arkansas Fox 24 (KFTA) television station loads a story with details of a follow-up screening held on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, at the Malco Razorback 16 theater in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with Q & Sessions followed.
References
External links
- The Brandon Burlsworth Foundation
- Burlsworth Trophy
- Brandon Burlsworth in the Search of the Mausoleum
- Greater: The Brandon Burlsworth Story
- Larger on IMDb
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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