It was apparently a shocker to a few of the reviewers here, but Greater includes some Christian themes in it. Under the organizations umbrella, there are multiple programs. Think about how much it must have hurt Russell to keep this secret, and how much he's risking by coming out now while trying to revive his NFL career. Before I leave the remarkable legacy of Harrison's Brandon Burlsworth and the film of his life called Greater, now showing in nearly 400 theaters across America, I want to share a few back-story notes about the 22-year-old Razorback All-American who died in a tragic traffic accident on April 28, 1999. He died in a car crash on April 28, 1999, shortly after he was drafted by the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Tennessee is only one of a handful of SEC football states with legalized sports betting. After his death, Burlsworth's #77 became only the second retired number in Razorback football history. . Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. BURLSWORTH, 22, a third-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts on April 17, was driving on U.S. 412 when he became involved in . The boy was almost 6-foot-4 and tipped the scales at more than 300 pounds. He was able to focus and achieve his primary goals that included earning a master's degree, making All-American and being drafted by an NFL team. Im going to try jump the snap, get off the ball as quick as possible and Im going to put my hand straight on his chest and run him through the goalpost, Ratliff said recently when asked what he remembered about the play that would most define UTs national championship season. "He'd be completely blown away by all this attention focused on him. He didnt just lay the ball on the ground. That hand was holding the football. He declined both, insisting instead on joining the Razorbacks as a walk-on. Both press conferences will be streamed live on Colts.com, the Colts mobile app, @Colts on Twitter and the Colts Facebook page. Suddenly, the Vols had the ball in Arkansas territory with time to mount a more conventional drive. University announces student survey results, new Track construction nearly complete, ready to Whataburger celebrates beginning construction on Searcy Harding hosts Arkansas National History Day Students visit historic Little Rock Central Students plan to attend upcoming mission ASI continues distinguished lecture series with Harding to host annual womens conference, Breaking out: University introduces breakout chapels, Construction on Berryhill Park courts continues. Every place starts with a cadence and ends with a whistle. It became clear that this was a story that would resonate far beyond the state boundaries. Not exactly. Instead, the accident happened four days later, tearing holes in the hearts of everyone who knew Brandon. In the book about Brandon's life, retired businessman Bud Walsh of Harrison is credited with advising Brandon's older brother Marty to contact Razorback Assistant Coach Harold Horton to hopefully become a walk-on. Today, The University of Arkansas has created an endowment in Brandon's name. Miranda Valles, 21, died in a motorcycle accident over the weekend on I-290. Brandon Burlsworth Death Cause And Scene - ABTC It was a crazy play. Brandon Burlsworth, NFL player. Cutcliffe called on Henry five consecutive times. Once his chance, though, Burlsworth seized his opportunity. When the 1999 NFL draft rolled around, the Indianapolis Colts made the linemans dreams a reality and selected him with the 63rd-overall pick. Safety Fred White didnt see it that way. Before I leave the remarkable legacy of Harrison's Brandon Burlsworth and the film of his life called Greater, now showing in nearly 400 theaters across America, I want to share a few back-story . We had never had a problem with anybody in the SEC but Florida. Burlsworth Trophy There is some footage of the real Brandon after the last credits. 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. Brandon Burlsworth age, bio, career, wife, net worth, married, weight "He listened, then just did it," said Tice. "When Brandon showed up at the rookie camp, he was even better than I thought he'd be," said Mudd. He continued to grow and was a good 6-foot-2, 260 pounds in his senior season. "I still believe he'd have had become one of the better guards in the NFL," said Mudd. Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. 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. For fans of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Burlsworth has been a household name for years. The Harrison, Arkansas, native walked on and became a three-year starter, All-American and NFL Draft pick. Yet Ratliff kept fighting through his injuries to help his teammates. A mother losing a child at that young age, it was tough. I remember Al on the sideline screaming at us and telling us, We cant lose to Arkansas, Ratliff said. MB: After we started receiving calls from Hollywood producers, we knew that if the story were told, we wanted it to be told in the most accurate way possible, understanding that its difficult to squeeze 15 years into two hours. The storys been told a lot but it probably hasnt reached as many people as you think, he said. Burlsworth ran a 40-yard touchdown in 4.88 seconds during the combine, more than any other player. His truck collided with an approaching 18-wheeler causing him to veer into his lane then he crashed with another tractor-trailer head-on. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2d144239416bbd Id never heard it before. Sow with thought, you reap in action. If Arkansas could just run the clock and punt the ball deep, theyd likely upset the top-ranked Vols in Neyland Stadium. PDF Brandon burlsworth accident report - Weebly Ratliff and Burlsworth will always be linked by the Arkansas fumble. Steichen's creativity and flexibility shined when the Eagles came to Indianapolis in Week 11 of the 2022 season. Brandon's Arkansas coach Houston Nutt told Sports Illustrated, "He always did everything exactly right, and I've never known anyone to work as hard.". Instead, the dreams of a family and the promise of an NFL career were cut short tragically when Burlsworth was killed 15 years ago today in a car accident as he headed home to Harrison, Arkansas. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd round of the 1999 NFL draft, but sadly, after eleven days, he was involved in a road accident. The Burls Way: How a Denham Springs man got the lead in 'Greater Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Burlsworth's Arkansas jersey number 77 was retired by the Colts for Hall-of-Famer Jim Parker, but Burlsworth's memorial picture ran on page 77 of the Indianapolis media guide. A "BB" sticker inside the club logo was worn on the rear of helmets that season. Burlsworth was selected in the 3rd round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts but he was killed eleven days later in a car accident near Alpena, Arkansas on April 28, 1999. The Burlsworth Trophy has been awarded every year since 2010. ", "He literally kept his goal focused right behind his nose through his college career.". Its hard not to imagine what might have been had Burlsworth not passed away when he was 22. | GREATER Movie LOS ANGELES (Christian Examiner) - GREATER, a new film about the inspiring story of Christian football player Brandon Burlsworth, who shot from walk-on at the University of Arkansas to a NFL draftee, will hit theaters this summer. The film shows Brandon receiving a scholarship offer from Arkansas Tech University. He was freak athlete. One of the most unusual aspects of the Arkansas fumble is that Ratliff shouldnt have been in the game at all. Administration enforces faculty reductions to rightsize Larger than life: Family, friends, co-workers Student Health Services offers nurse practitioner, Bison basketball teams drive season further, Police investigate apartment shootings in Searcy, New shopping opportunities come to Searcy. The youth center in Harrison, Arkansas . The story of Brandon Burlsworth, possibly the greatest walk-on in the history of college football. Burlsworth was killed in a car accident less than two weeks after he was drafted. Carrolton ap former arkansas offensive guard brandon burlsworth died in a car crash as he headed home to harrison from fayetteville officials said. "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." ESPN College GameDay 8-31-19 #WeTrust pic.twitter.com/x3UCtOjLLf, Burlsworth Trophy (@BurlsworthTrust) August 29, 2019. Had he joined the Indianapolis Colts, Brandon Burlsworth probably would have made quite the impact on the football field. Stoerner lost his grip as he seemingly laid the ball on the ground. We got the ball back. Unfortunately, Brandon was tragically killed in a head-on automobile collision just 11 days after the draft. "He loved the coaching staff and grew close to Coach Mudd immediately," said Marty. "Brandon felt very good about getting on the field and beginning the next step of his career. He knew he could be going against Bruce Smith on opening day. He was already getting ready for that challenge.". One of Fulmers favorite phrases was Pound the Rock, as in run the football until the other team breaks. The lineman had returned from the Colts' weekend minicamp. "I couldn't stop talking to my wife about how impressive he was and what a bright future he had.". To be of the offensive line Brandon took a risk and walked on 1994! Cutcliffe decided to do just that. However, he was killedin an automobile accident 11 days after the draft. When Zac Budman was assigned to produce a feature for College GameDay Built by The Home Depot on the late Brandon Burlsworth, he did his research and learned the amazing and tragic story of the former Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman. After Brandon was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, the caring couple asked Barbara if they might give Brandon some new shirts and a set of luggage for his trip. 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 dies on arkansas highway after head on collision with tractor trailer. 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. He walked on to the University of Arkansas to become the first All-American from that program in a decade. The other producers couldnt guarantee just how accurate the depiction would be. Now, a careless fumble? Q: When did you realize Brandons story was going to be something that could resonate with people far beyond just Razorback fans? At the combine, Burlsworth topped all linemen with a 4.88 40-yard dash. He bench pressed 225 pounds 28 times, weighed 308 pounds and measured a slight notch below 6-4. During their time of struggle, they came up with the idea for the foundation. Burlsworth film moves to Netflix - hotsr.com The story of a small town walk-on freshman named Brandon Burlsworth transforming into a first team All-American has been inspiring to football fans of all ages, but there is much more to his legacy than most people know. Brandon Burlsworth (as Chris Severio) Michael Parks Leo Burlsworth Nick Searcy The Farmer Peter Gray Lewis Coach Tice (as Peter Lewis) Fredric Lehne Coach Bender Texas Battle Anthony Lucas M.C. Through the Eyes of a Champion by Jeff Kinley - Goodreads However, the player some consider the best walk-on in college football history was tragically killed in a car accident just 11 days later. "Greater" - A True Story Worthy Of Hollywood - Arkansas Razorbacks 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. He walked onto the team and, despite spending a season as a redshirt on the scout team, proved his worth; ahead of his sophomore year, the offensive lineman had earned a scholarship. He loved the sport, though, and worked his way to all-state honors by the time he graduated. Known throughout Arkansas, Indianapolis was only getting to know Burlsworth. You want to just tell the story as if no one had ever heard it before. Sow with action, you reap a habit. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Our opponents are set! Burlsworth never got to join the Colts, though. Twenty-One Years Later, Brandon Burlsworth Legacy Endures For Retired Published: Wednesday, August 24, 2016. He said Ford wasn't enthused and even said Brandon would never earn a scholarship because he wasn't the type of player they were looking for. He died in a car crash on april 28 1999 shortly after he was drafted by the nfls indianapolis colts. Brandon Burlsworth at the heart of another Saturday Billy Ratliff hit the lineman and he stepped back on his foot. As of the 2020 census the population stood at 128. After his time at the University of Arkansas ended, Brandon Burlsworth seemed poised to realize his NFL dreams. He was in the prime of his football career. One About Saturday Down South | Ethics and Editorial Standards | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Other Conferences: Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12, "Billy Ratliff was right next to me. SDG Reviews 'Greater'| National Catholic Register Instead, he did set goals and worked hard to achieve them.". Coach Tice: You know, football's a rough game; it's unpredictable. Your IP: He is a great story about a guy who overcame huge obstacles through hard work, determination and perseverance. 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. He inspires people. Coleman had seen the suffering Ratliff had been through. "It would have been great to see Brandon play, but it wasn't God's plan. That wasn't the way it's supposed to be, and that's what you accept.". Although he never played a down in the NFL, he had impressed Mudd enough during mini-camp that. Ratliff and Coleman were suite mates, so they knew each other well off the field. Brandon Burlsworth rose from a walk-on to a legitimate player at Arkansas After his rise to prominence at Arkansas, Brandon Burlsworth seemed poised to make the leap to the NFL. Harding University in Florence students get Sladers Alaskan Dumpling Co. hosts birthday Students attend annual National Prayer Breakfast. During the summer after his sophomore year, he had a big growth spurt, enough where he was able to get playing time on the varsity.
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