Burlsworth Trophy Announces Semifinalists
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Nov. 8, 2022 –Today, the Burlsworth Trophy selection committee announces the top 10 semi-finalists for the 2022 award. The Burlsworth Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a walk-on. Brandon Burlsworth’s life is also the subject of a major motion picture, “GREATER”, which was released nationally in 2016.
The 2021 winner was linebacker Grant Morgan from the University of Arkansas. Morgan was one of three Burlsworth Trophy finalists in 2020 while earning Second-Team All-America honors from the Walter Camp Foundation and First-Team All-SEC recognition. He capped a historic career at Arkansas in 2021 as the school’s first-ever Burlsworth Trophy winner while also being named a finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. During the 2021 campaign, he was again one of the leading tacklers in the SEC and FBS eclipsing the 100-tackle mark for the second straight year.
The 2022 semi-finalists include:
| School | Name | Position | Year |
| Buffalo | Shaun Dolac | LB | JR |
| BYU | Payton Wilgar | LB | JR |
| Charlotte | Chris Reynolds | QB | SR |
| Florida State | Treshaun Ward | RB | Soph |
| Georgia | Stetson Bennett | QB | SR |
| LSU | Josh Williams | RB | JR |
| Oregon | Ryan Walk | OL | SR |
| Purdue | Aidan O’Connell | QB | SR |
| Troy | Carlton Martial | LB | SR |
| Wisconsin | John Torchio | S | SR |
The selection committee will announce the top three Burlsworth Trophy finalists on November 15. Finalists will be honored and the winner of the 2022 Burlsworth Trophy will be announced on December 5 at 7:00 p.m. CST at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.
The trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth. Without one D1 scholarship offer, Brandon walked on to the Razorback team in 1994, worked his way to being a three-year starter and was eventually named an All-American in 1998. Burlsworth was selected as the 63rd overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL draft but was tragically killed in a car accident 11 days later. The Burlsworth Foundation was created in his memory and supports the physical and spiritual needs of children, in particular those children who have limited opportunities.
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