Vice President, Business Development. The Razorbacks program announced Friday that university officials would retire the number 77 that Burlsworth wore for Arkansas. Russ and I know that never happened. The book, Eyes of a Champion, the Brandon Burlsworth Story, was delivered in 2001. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. I was high as a kite. He was in the prime of his football career. Even after his career was cut short due to death, the athlete continues to pay homage to his accomplishments and accomplishments. One was center Jay Leeuwenberg. Rick Reilly's Get the Message? Brandon Vaughn Burlsworth was born in Harrison, Arkansas, on September 20, 1976 to Leo Burlsworth and Barbara Burlsworth. By using BiJog.com you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. He became a starter his sophomore year and was named an All-American his senior year. "I took the player's helmet and put it on," said Tice. And would you believe it, it was the Indianapolis Colts who took him. Yeah, lets go buy some Colts stuff.. [27] The award is given yearly to the most outstanding Division I FBS college football player who began his career as a walk-on. If it was green label, Brandon could eat it. With Neal McDonough, Leslie Easterbrook, Christopher Severio, Michael Parks. I asked Barbara about what her son's faith meant to him. Also not included in the film is that Brandon and Marty also have a brother named Grady. Ronnie said they had just timed Brandon at 5.0 in the 40. The film shows Brandon receiving a scholarship offer from Arkansas Tech University. ``He was so good and so perfect,'' said Nutt, who met with the team Thursday afternoon. 1998 The Associated Press. Another trait that set Brandon apart was his respectful devotion to doing whatever authority figures asked of him. Among the ideas: retiring his No. Garrison Stadium in Harrison, Arkansas, and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. I couldn't believe the quotes from J.D. The Brandon Burlsworth Award is given out yearly to one male and one female athlete at Harrison High School and the University of Arkansas who best exemplify the strength of character and work ethic known as "The Burls Way". His bench weight was 225 pounds 28 times, his weight was 308 pounds, and he had a slight notch under 6 feet. Wed been to a couple of Razorbacks games before, and Brandon had seen the stadium and sat in the stands. So do I.. Brandon was home. All of those in my interview will get together Saturday for a special screening of the movie. I look forward every Thursday to opening my mailbox and seeingwhom you have chosen for the cover. 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. 1999 The Associated Press. I know some guys will be there who I haven't seen in 20 years.. By the time he was a senior, we both knew that if we wanted to keep playing football he was going to have to enter the NFL draft. He died as a result of the accident on April 28, 1999, and he had not survived it. Kind words One player with the colts said it's his loss he won't get to be friends with Brandon Burlsworth. It had this outdoor patio that you could stand on and look down on the field. Hull's goal was legal. The Indianapolis Colts honored him by giving each family member and the University of Arkansas Athletic Director a $5,000 (USD) check at halftime of the first Colts game after Brandon died in 1999. The movie was produced by Brian Reindl with co-producer Tim Duff and executive producers Brian Reindl and Neal McDonough. Arlis Thrasher, said the couple was to have spent Saturday picking out wedding rings. "He listened, then just did it," said Tice. Drew about merelywanting to play ball (INSIDE BASEBALL, June 28). We had to have the funeral at the high school gym. Unfortunately, the star died in 1999, aged 22. Darryl Strawberry didn'tdecide to start doing drugs once he realized kids admired him,and Mike Tyson didn't survive in New York City by makingcrumpets for other children. #inline-recirc-item--id-b47cc06a-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Tickets numbering 800 were offered and sold out quickly, and another 200 were quickly sold as well. They all played in the NFL., Horton hung up the phone, marched down to Ford's office. 2?JEFF GOSS, North Providence, R.I. Opposing teams made game plans just to handle Brandon. Yet Ford agreed to let Brandon show up as a "preferred walk-on.". ``He was the local star. He had intended to help under advantaged children and the Burlsworth family settled the establishment that in his honor. He wasthatgood. This was the dream. He ate only the green label items.. His awards and his many accolades are numerous but among them are earning a scholarship the first year. So I started calling coaches and seeing where he could play. Burlsworth attended the Colts' rookie camp last weekend, where he met briefly with a few Indianapolis veterans. Youll have all your coursework done and can graduate at the end of the year anyway., Yeah, he said with a smile. Horton recalls the story well. "We attended the First Assembly in Harrison and Brandon was always there, starting at about 10 years old. There was a time not that long before when he was a 6-foot, 160-pound high school freshman, a "big, gangly kid" who . Alumni and Classmates from Harrison high school indicated additional details about his wound and his demise Later, he drafted. Collective Bias' innovative Shopper Social Media platform connects authentic, real . In fact, Ed, who works for FedEx in Harrison and has three children, even named his oldest son after Brandon. The children are given an official "Burls Kid" T-shirt and replica glasses similar to those Brandon wore on the field. His high school coaches couldnt believe his size when he came back for his junior season. } He walked in and it was the Pillsbury Doughboy. Bentonville, AR. To this day, people tell me where they were when they heard the news. We probably put 30,000 miles on my minivan each season. 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. I don't care how good a player he becomes; he's theepitome of what's wrong with sports today.TOM MCCLURE, Cherry Hill, N.J. J.D. That's how you get an 80-yard run. Please subscribe to keep reading. Ronnie called and wanted to know our interest in Brandon, Horton said. He played on both sides of the ball and would just blow the field up. He'll engage the man over him, release him, brush a linebacker enough he can't make the play and then watch this, he's going to go 20 yards down the field and get in the way of the safety, Felker said. I never used to worry before Brandon died. And for the next three years, every Friday at 5:30 p.m., Id close up the photography studio I owned in Harrison, pick up my mom, and my wife and kids, and drive to Brandons football games. We have lots of information about Heather: religious views . Well, I was on all of those trips. A silent, somber pall hung over the Fayetteville campus on Thursday. "He not only lived his life right, he lived right every single day," Nutt said. [12] He was buried on May 2, 1999, in Gass Cemetery in Omaha, Arkansas. 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. Brandon did not get married before he passed away when he was only twenty-two years old. There are a few things that aren't right in the movie. At the combine, Burlsworth topped all linemen with a 4.88 40-yard dash. The family was given a check for $10,000. Just remember this, Brandon Burlsworth was wanted at Arkansas. We needed Brandon.. I dont how many times Id call to check in.Coach, ya need anything?Id sit every week with the newspaper. He can really run. I remember that day. Brandon was ready to do back flips if he didn't have to eat from the green label trays anymore. The next week, Brandon flew to Indianapolis for minicamp. Brown is going. He graduated last December, in just 4-1/2 years, with a master's degree in business administration. But the mostimportant thing that Brandon would want everyone to know is thaton the day of his death, he was prepared. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. He was Brandon's first coach at the UA. His death occurred as he was returning home from a training session in Fayetteville. Brandon was so single-minded, so focused. I remember the first time I heard about Brandon Burlsworth. } It goes beyond words. Is Greater a true story? Burlsworth graduated in 1994 from Harrison High School, where he was an All-State selection and volunteer walk-on football player to the University of Arkansas, despite having scholarship offers from smaller universities. I thought, 'Tommy, what have you sent me?' Brandon Burlsworth measured 6-foot-3 1/4, 308 pounds at the 1999 NFL Combine. Facebook gives people the power. The Olympic Gold Medalist shines light on her Hispanic heritage fueling her career. That's a great sign that a linemen can play. The tickets are distributed through Razorback Clubs across the state. He took my call, but I couldnt tell just how interested he was. Brandon was selected in the third round, 63rd overall, by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL draft. A pro team trainer's day typically startsat 5:30 a.m. and stretches into the evening. More than 100 members of Burlsworth's family were present and players from Harrison's football team wore their blue and yellow jerseys. Brandon Burlsworth was a talented American football player who played as an offensive lineman for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team from 1995 to 1998. I can't tell you how exited I am. I go straight to the sports and see if any scholarships were offered. I'll say this, please see the movie. Burlsworth was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the 63rd pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, but he tragically died in a car accident just 11 days later. At the annual college scouting combine last February, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any offensive lineman (4.88 seconds) and had the second-best vertical jump (31 inches). Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. [3], After his career with the Razorbacks, Burlsworth was invited to the NFL combine. "Others will play guard for us, but we won't replace Burlsworth.". CHARLES OVERTON, Fort Thomas, Ky. Failure to call obvious penalties after the second period allowedan exciting game to deteriorate into tedium.DON HUMAN, Lexington, Ky. I think Brandon would be proud of the work were doing in his name. Two rows of flowers ran the length of the basketball court. So by his fourth year at Arkansas, he was already finishing his masters degree. Brandon Burlsworth was born September 20th, 1976 in Harrison, Arkansas. 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