To this day, people tell me where they were when they heard the news. Brandon Burlsworth, NFL player. "He always said there would be time for girls later, but he had things he needed to accomplish first," said his mother, Barbara Burlsworth, a Harrison Realtor. Brandon Burlsworths family has been through a lot in the past few years. Get acover. [30] The casting director was Stephanie Holbrook, C.S.A. If it was green label, Brandon could eat it. Whether Im driving around town, past the baseball park where we used to play catch, past the Razorbacks signs on front lawns, I feel his presence. display: none; Hull's goal was legal. And when its Friday night here in Harrison and the whole town is at the football game, I think about Brandon. Brandon was so single-minded, so focused. On April 28, 1999, he died in a car accident. The school was going to give Brandon a scholarship. 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. One weekend when I was driving with Brandon to campus I think maybe it was his junior year a thought crossed my mind. He liked doing it.''. He was throwing it around. He may be gone, but I still want to do whatever I can to keep his dreams going, to keep his legacy going. So you just walk down this side of the stadium, O.K.? Heather Nichols and he were about to tie the knot. It is very difficultto admit that in one second, all the dreams that Brandon and Ishared are gone: the dreams of our first house, our children,our careers and the rest of our lives together. Youll have all your coursework done and can graduate at the end of the year anyway., Yeah, he said with a smile. It was time to call Marty Burlswoth, his brother and all of the other key figures in what I call Brandon's development as an All-America offensive guard. Past 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. Brandon Burlsworth Girlfriend Heather Nichols. The day of Brandon's funeral was the day Brandon and I hadplanned to pick out our engagement rings. I dont even think he played one game. Let me tell you about 40 times for offensive linemen, if they run 5.0 to 5.1, that's special. The book was re-released in August 2016 as a tie-in with the movie, renamed Greater: The Brandon Burlsworth Story. Brandon's jersey #77 is retired at the University of Arkansas. The movie was produced by Brian Reindl with co-producer Tim Duff and executive producers Brian Reindl and Neal McDonough. renato's palm beach happy hour Uncovering hot babes since 1919. 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. The former Arkansas hostile, Brandon Burlsworth was headed to his Harrison, Ark., home from Fayetteville, where he got a SEC West title ring alongside the remainder of the 1998 Razorbacks on April 28, 1999. Burlsworth was killed in a traffic accident last Wednesday as he drove from working out at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville to his home in Harrison, a city of about 11,000. "He always said there would. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She smiles when she sees the many thousands of children and others who've benefited enormously from the charitable Brandon Burlsworth Foundation and from his once having lived a blessed and honorable life among us. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed At the point when he hadn't shown up by 4, Brandon's brother, Marty got a concerned call from his mother and went to her home. in business administration. Brandons number 77 was retired as a result of the Arkansas Razorback football program. If it meant bringing a basket of baseballs to the park so he could work on his hitting and pitching, I wanted to be there. He wasnt as tall or as heavy as D-I colleges wanted him to be. Brandon Burlsworth was a walk-on offensive tackle at the University of Arkansas when he joined the team. His body was laid to rest in Gass Cemetery in Omaha, Arkansas, on May 2, 1999. He wont be going down., Well, thats good, he said, sort of laughing. There are about 11,000 people in town and one unspoken rule: If its Friday night, youre going to the Harrison High football game. He had a master's degree in business administration and was the first Arkansas player in school history to get an advanced degree before playing his last game. He's in paradise now.''. So when Brandon got it in his mind that he was going to be a Razorback, I was all in. Another trait that set Brandon apart was his respectful devotion to doing whatever authority figures asked of him. [12] He was buried on May 2, 1999, in Gass Cemetery in Omaha, Arkansas. The accident occurred near Carrollton, Ark., on U.S. 412 and Carrollton Road at approximately 4:15 p.m. Burlsworth had been expected to attend a 4 p.m. ring ceremony in Fayetteville -- awarding players and coaches with their SEC West Champion and Citrus Bowl rings -- but decided to skip the ceremony to attend Wednesday worship services in Harrison. Is Greater a true story? [4], During the 1999 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Burlsworth with the 63rd pick in the third round. We just didn't have a good practice. According to sources, he was focused on his professional progress and awaiting the right time to reveal his relationship. Brandon Burlsworth was born September 20th, 1976 in Harrison, Arkansas. 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. Brandon was selected in the third round, 63rd overall, by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL draft. And it was Brandons time. Burlsworths car crossed the center line and struck the tractor trailers left front fender. The press release stated that the change was due to "[o]verwhelming positive response from screening audiences and the desire of a national theater chain to show it in more locations". Certainly, football was immensely important to Brandon, butit was his character and the relationship he had with God thatdefined who Brandon Burlsworth really was.HEATHER NICHOLS, Everton, Ark. Burlsworth was pronounced dead at the scene. Although he never played a down in the NFL, he had impressed Mudd enough during mini-camp that the. No, they have a scene with Coach Ford, Garrett said. } We suddenly needed that gear, because we would be rooting for the Colts. My father didnot let go, but he later said that he would have felt morecomfortable tackling a freight train than Motley.ELIZABETH GREGORY, Arroyo Grande, Calif. You left off one of the most exciting baseball winning streaksof all time: the New York Giants' 16-game streak in 1951, whichstarted when the Giants were 13 1/2 behind the league-leadingBrooklyn Dodgers in early August (Inside Baseball, July 12).Sparked by rookie Willie Mays (stealing third base, above) andled by manager Leo Durocher (2), the Giants caught the Dodgersand forced a playoff series, which the Giants won, thanks toBobby Thomson's three-run homer in the bottom of the ninthinning of the third game.NORMAN GLICKMAN, Lafayette, Calif. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. We are heartbroken.''. His father, Archie, was a truck driver and his mother, Olivia, was a homemaker. A Colts helmet was on the stage as was a collage of photographs of Burlsworth's life and career. Join the discussion or start a new one on the Forums. Harrison High School football coach Tommy Tice recalled that Burlsworth started slow, but his character carried him through. He was a Razorback. The man trying to tackle himin the picture is my father, Gail Bruce. Bentonville, AR. For most of us it is a mindless thing to do, making an eye appointment. Burlsworth ran a 40-yard touchdown in 4.88 seconds during the combine, more than any other player. When I turned on to the street behind Moms house, I could see her driveway through this little opening between houses. The students are selected by the University of Arkansas Scholarship Committee and are recognized in a ceremony in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Garrett rented a theater in Little Rock and ran down the players from Brandon's team. Wed, 09/08/2021 - 15:05. By his sophomore season in 1996, he had earned a scholarship and a starting position at right guard on the offensive line. I think Brandon would be proud of the work were doing in his name. It was disappointing, but Brandon wanted to go to Arkansas more than anything and, well, he didnt want any regrets. It starts with a visit with Harold Horton, the UA recruiting coordinator for Danny Ford. But I wanted to uncover the real story. It was Brandon Burlsworth. Heather Nichols and he were about to tie the knot. It breaks my heart that millions of readers will get to know anindividual of Brandon Burlsworth's character not during his lifebut after his death.MICHAEL SZAJENKO, Warren, Mich. Why is it that as an avid reader of SI, I am thoroughly familiarwith the likes of Latrell Sprewell, Albert Belle and LawrencePhillips, but until his tragic death, I had never even heard ofBrandon Burlsworth? '', Said Brown, ``He's put on a high pedestal, and he's going to be taken care of.''. Win the NBA championship? The Olympic Gold Medalist shines light on her Hispanic heritage fueling her career. 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. We may still get one. And the only thing bigger than high school football in Harrison or anywhere else in Arkansas is Razorback football. Garrison Stadium in Harrison, Arkansas, and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. Win the Super Bowl? So a few months after his death, we started the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation, where we do all of that and more. We still dont really know what happened that afternoon. Every week, Brandon made the drive home. On top of that, Dad had trouble with drinking and wasnt really in our lives when Brandon was a little boy. He couldn't go anywhere without signing autographs, which never bothered him. He was preparing to marry Heather Nichols. Brandon Vaughn Burlsworth (September 20, 1976 - April 28, 1999) was an offensive lineman for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team from 1995 to 1998. We drove it to death. brandon hughes' sentencing; ickx belgian chocolate advent calendar; Actualits. ``He was the type of person that you didn't get to know, but you knew you wanted to get to know him,'' Leeuwenberg said. I was on that trip, he said. Still, with each pick, even in the first round, you get more and more nervous. He graduated from high school in 1994 and was recruited as a football player for the University of Arkansas. After he redshirted his first year (1994), he transformed his pudgy 300lb (140kg) frame into a svelte 260lb (120kg), and, over the next two years, built himself back up to a muscular 300lb (140kg) offensive guard. I can only hope I did as much as I could to help him. #GreaterTheMovie", "Sneak Peek of UA Football Player Biopic "Greater" at Malco Razorback", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brandon_Burlsworth&oldid=1139617635, Players of American football from Arkansas, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with peacock terms from December 2017, Articles needing additional references from December 2017, All articles needing additional references, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, NFL player missing current team parameter, Infobox NFL biography articles missing alt text and caption, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Brandon and Ed played football together and became very close friends over the years. Brandon was killed in a car accident eleven days after the draft when he was thrown from his vehicle in a head-on collision. Kind words One player with the colts said it's his loss he won't get to be friends with Brandon Burlsworth. Mike likes him. SurelyYarbrough would be the first unscored-upon goalie in leaguehistory.KARL SVATEK, Wauwatosa, Wis. Tragedy Strikes For The Burlsworth Family He was 309. Brown said the movie got it right when they showed Brandon late at night throwing a medicine ball around in the indoor workout area of the Broyles Athletic Center. He is most famous for his college football career at the University of Arkansas. And Ill get a photo of you in your uniform. I asked him about the young players, still not with the varsity. I kept gaming out who was left. Of course, he was my brother and you do anything for family, but things were a little tougher for him. Nutt said Burlsworth's respect from teammates was evident in that he was elected captain by a landslide. He spent his first season of high school football as a sophomore on the sidelines. He'd worked to find some linemen. Reputation Score. A third-round draft choice last month, he was supposed to be getting ready to play for the Indianapolis Colts, blocking for Peyton Manning and opening holes for running backs. As everyone knows, in footballyou have to wear a helmet. [5] After participating in a Colts post draft mini-camp, he impressed the team's then-offensive line coach Howard Mudd and was projected to be a starter for the Colts' 1999 season. I left around midnight. Not like my younger brother Brandon. '', ``From everything we could see,'' said Polian, ``Brandon represented everything we want in a Colts uniform.''. It was the Razorbacks. I look forward every Thursday to opening my mailbox and seeingwhom you have chosen for the cover. He was Arkansas's first All-American player since 1993 and their first player selected to a first-team squad since 1989. After the draft, he spoke to me a lot about helping other kids in Harrison. 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