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Former Arkansas football player and Indianapolis Colts third-round draft pick Brandon Burlsworth died Wednesday in a car crash near Carrolton, Ark., while travelling to his home, state police said . Brandon Vaughn Burlsworth was an offensive lineman for the Arkansas Razorbacks Football Team from 1995 to 1998. . He was drafted 59 spots after Edgerrin James and with the notion to help fortify an offense that already had young stars in Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning. On Friday, Aug. 26, the movie "GREATER" will be released in theaters. Email him at [emailprotected], Copyright 2023, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Though Burlsworths story is not new, Budman felt that he should approach the story, with reporter Tom Rinaldi, as if every viewer was learning about it for the first time. I think the movie speaks to people in many different ways, Reindl said. Our family chose to turn our grief into something that would make a difference and honor Brandon for the things he felt so strongly about. The foundation, established in 1999, has several programs that serve children in Arkansas and around the country. MB: We want them to know that bad things can and will happen. After working 11 years on his Brandon Burlsworth biopic Greater, Reindl is within days of seeing his dream project open on 400 to 450 screens across the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest next week.. Burlsworth was an All-American football player for the University of Arkansas, who died tragically in an automobile . Burlsworth never got to join the Colts, though. Your IP: Said Martin, It was really good for us as a team to win in the fashion we won. He was killed in a car accident just days after the 1999 NFL Draft. The book, Eyes of a Champion, the Brandon Burlsworth Story, was delivered in 2001. Rivers and Steichen worked together with the Chargers, while Turner gave Steichen his first opportunity in the NFL. He died in a car crash on april 28 1999 shortly after he was drafted by the nfls indianapolis colts. I have a son right now that just turned 22. Thats the way I went about it.. She agreed, and the night before Brandon's fatal accident, he sat with his mother at the dinner table to send the Roths a thank-you note. died in a car crash 11 days after . Do it the right way when no one else is looking. 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.". The car accident happened on April 28, 1999, near Alpena when he was on his way back from his hometown of Harrison after a workout in Fayetteville. College GameDay Built by the Home Depot airs Saturday at 9 a.m. #HistoricHog pic.twitter.com/xBCanCzixz. The Good Lord doesnt make things happen without a reason. From @RazorbackFB walk-on to All-American, Brandon Burlsworth's story makes him a Razorback to remember. You can see through the movie that the way he lived his life and how his family reacted answers the question of what to do when these things happen.. Burlsworth ran a 40-yard touchdown in 4.88 seconds during the combine, more than any other player. Mom and I picked him up at the airport when he came home. When I told him to come at me full force to demonstrate my lesson about blocking, Brandon knocked me flat on my back, leaving me dazed for several seconds.". It was one of those games where we always thought we were going to win, Ratliff said. Although Brandon became a stickler for staying focused and doing things the right way, he also was a typically sloppy teenager until the 10th grade when Barbara told him if he was serious about going to college, "he'd better get his act together." At Arkansas, the former Harrison High School player became a three-year starter and finished as an All-Southeastern Conference pick and on the Associated Press All-America second team. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The family picked Brandon up at the airport after the rookie camp. He was sore from the work, but expressed comfort with his teammates and the size of Indianapolis. Just days after the draft, tragedy struck. Q: Brandons life seemed to have incredible highs and lows. Carrolton (AP) - Former Arkansas offensive guard BRANDON BURLSWORTH died in a car crash as he headed home to Harrison from Fayetteville, officials said. Thats where things were headed as Arkansas quarterback Clint Stoerner lined up under center on second down with just 1:47 left on the clock. Marty Burlsworth said his brother always remembered where he came from and wanted to help kids in similar situations to his. He was made to do it. Said Fulmer, Anybody that loves football would love that. Billy was great. 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. They came to town to interview everyone and get photographs for the magazine. In the short time Brandon was on this earth he left a legacy and a positive role model that will be remembered long after we are gone. "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." Among the past recipients: Cleveland Browns star and former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and Hunter Renfrow, a recent Clemson standout receiver now in his rookie year with the Oakland Raiders. Oh well, it was a great run. Ratliff and Burlsworth will always be linked by the Arkansas fumble. Brandon burlsworth car accident details. Eleven days after being drafted, Brandon is killed when he is hit head-on by a tractor trailer. '"I told him how much it would mean to them to receive that message from him.". They (Arkansas) did a good job of game-planning on us. However, every time he thinks of the fumble, its hard not to think of Burlsworth. "I kept coming back to comparisons with Brandon. Brandon Burlsworth is growning from an unwanted accident of a child, to an abnormally large teenager, to a high school football . Request more info or view our 3D Seat Viewer below! ", Tammy and Danny Roth of Harrison were friends of the Burlsworths. We are very happy with the way it turned out. After walking on, Burlsworth became an All-American and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts to help protect Peyton Manning. He was traveling to Harrison from Fayetteville to . As spelled out in an ESPN college football video, Burlsworth was never the most athletic guy; during high school, he was slow, soft, and didnt see significant playing time until his junior year. Harding University in Florence students get Sladers Alaskan Dumpling Co. hosts birthday Students attend annual National Prayer Breakfast. In reality he also had one from Henderson State University. brandon burlsworth car accident details, 47 Best Movies Images In 2019 Film Movie Movie Clock, 17 Best Divorce Board Images Divorce Divorce Lawyers This Or, 46 Best Inspiring People Images Looking Up Robyn Davidson, 14 Best Sports Images Arkansas Razorbacks Football Arkansas, 21 Best Elijah Oyefeso Pictures Images Elijah Pictures, 16 Best New Dvd S January 2017 Images Movie Tv New Movies, 26 3d Movie Prime Video Best Choice In 2020 Hd Movies Movies, 54 Best Christian Videos Streaming On Amazon Prime I Like Images. We're going to be fine.' When its your time, its your time. He didnt do it on his own, White said of Stoerners fumble. In Anticipation Of UFC 285 On ESPN+ PPV Saturday, Four Experts Weighed In, ESPNs Renewal Of Three-Year Formula 1 Deal Is Off To A Roaring Start, Starting Five: NBA Today and NBA Countdowns Malika Andrews. Instead, he did set goals and worked hard to achieve them.". He made close friends with Ed Robinson, who was a bit older. Barbara and Marty came to training camp in advance of the Buffalo opener. That has to be the bittersweet part for Ratliff. He became very active in the youth group. However, he was killedin an automobile accident 11 days after the draft. Among UT fans, his name is synonymous with the Arkansas fumble. At halftime of the team's season-opener against Buffalo, Colts owners Jim and Meg Irsay presented Burlsworth's family and Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles with checks for $5,000 each. The game was essentially over, as were Tennessees national championship hopes. While he received some offers from smaller schools, Burlsworth wanted to go to the University of Arkansas and play for the Razorbacks. (Zac Budman/ESPN), Marty Burlsworth, brother of the late Brandon Burlsworth, is interviewed. Tragically, at the age of 22, 10 days after the draft, he was killed in a car accident on April 28th, 1999 while on his way home from the University of Arkansas to attend church with his mom. When (Greater producer and co-screenwriter) Brian Reindl came to us, we instantly felt a comfort level with him and his desire to tell Brandons story. 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. Brandon Burlsworth death scene What was Brandon Burlsworth's death scene like? We always beat those guys. Organizations and businesses prepare for Valentines Gov. The play was unpredictable, right? Brandon was elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the UA Letterman's Association Hall of Honor in 2004. 2 Alabama, SEC Women's Basketball Tournament action suspended due to weather delay, 2 SEC players named to late-season watch list for Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Trophy, Overrated? But that same night, April 28, Mudd received a phone call from a newspaper reporter, asking him, "Have you heard about Brandon Burlsworth?" Burlsworth had been killed in a car accident. Safety Fred White didnt see it that way. Tice also told of a time when he'd become agitated with another lineman during practice and told the team to watch. We certainly didnt write the script, but we felt our opinions were always welcome. It made them believe they could win a title and instilled fear of the possibility of coming up short. Ratliff replaced fellow defensive lineman Jeff Coleman, who was suffering from cramps on the sideline when Ratliffe made history. You want to just tell the story as if no one had ever heard it before. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts and 11 days later was tragically killed in. 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. The Arkansas win did more than preserve the Vols perfect record. Im not sure what coach Nutt was thinking about, Ratliff said. After the Arkansas game, we knew that was our moment, former UT cornerback Dwayne Goodrich said. "The common . Q: What message do you want fans to take from this movie? 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. You can say that if you werent a part of it and you didnt see what I saw. "He'd be completely blown away by all this attention focused on him. Brian Reindl is a real estate developer by trade, but a filmmaker by passion. check will go to Burlsworth's former high school for its scholarship fund and the other was presented to Arkansas, his alma mater. As a part of the program, the Colts will hire a Dungy Fellow for the offense and the defense. (NWA Media). He definitely was, Coleman said. Yet Ratliff kept fighting through his injuries to help his teammates. Tee came off the field and Billy told him, Hey man, dont put your helmet away. Since 2010, the Burlsworth Trophy has been handed out to the best player in college football who started his career as a walk-on. I hope he finds a home on an NFL team, and more than that hope he finds peace. "Through the years, we have stayed close. We're very appreciative of Mr. Irsay and the bond his organization has with us. My mother always has gotten a Colts Christmas card. We've kept a feeling of being a part of Brandon's team.". Journalism Showcase: E60 Producer Discusses How New Documentary On Undefeated 72 Dolphins Puts Fresh Perspective on 50-Year-Old Story, ESPNs Gymnastics Creative Soars and Brings the Light to Friday Night Heights, Inside The Making Of Andscape Writer Jesse Washingtons MLK Weekend Essay Living In His Legacy, ESPNs Holland Mickle Roars into Action for the Injured Clemson Cub, Whats Your Beef With Jon Jones? The magazine did an extensive eight-page piece on him. "I thought it would soften the blow because there was going to be a ceremony on opening day where our family would get a framed jersey," said Marty. "Brandon hadn't been around the NFL so as a close family, we were going to live it with him. . Now, you can't control who your mom and daddy is, but you can control how hard you work. There is a much deeper message here. Anyone within earshot of Ratliff just moments before heard him call his shot. 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. When his brother Marty sees how much he meant to the people of his hometown and how many have shown up for his funeral, he rebuffs The Farmer, deciding to celebrate Brandon's life and move on with his own. The accident came less than two weeks after the Colts selected him and shortly after he had participated in the team's minicamp where coaches tabbed him as a potential starter at guard. I know his teammates respected him for the work he put in and his incredible dedication. Two collisions followed, and the life of a wonderful human with vast talents was over., Jerry Jones Had a Number of Hall of Fame Teammates and Coaches at Arkansas, Including Jimmy Johnson. 1. The storys been told a lot but it probably hasnt reached as many people as you think, he said. Fate intervened. A&P Commission approves funding for robotics Campus Life introduces Cotton Candy Friday. They added that they hope the movie raises awareness for what they are trying to do with their foundation and helps make the Burlsworth name synonymous with strong character. Unfortunately, Brandon was tragically killed in a head-on automobile collision just 11 days after the draft." He was drafted in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft to protect oddly enough former Vol quarterback Peyton Manning. The fans respected him for starting out as a walk-on, working hard to become a three-year starter and finishing his career as an All-American. Hate to see Desir be the victim lol. 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. That has to be the bittersweet part for Ratliff. That was one of those plays that had to happen. I, for one, didnt know about it, and anyone Ive talked about it with didnt either, so I dont think you try to get too outside the box in your thinking. "If God ever made the perfect person, it was that guy," said then teammate Sacha Lancaster to Sport Illustrated. Morgan Casting describes "Greater" as the unlikely career of Brandon Burlsworth is perhaps the greatest walk-on story in the history of college football.Known for his distinctive thick black glasses and resemblance to the 1990s incarnation of Drew Carey, the small-town Burlsworth had always . Although he never played a down in the NFL, he had impressed Mudd enough during mini-camp that. More than. "GREATER" tells the story of Burlsworth, a former college walk-on, who would go on to earn All-America honors at the . 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. As recorded on the Colts official website, Burlsworth was driving home to Harrison, Arkansas in April 1999; he wanted to head home, have dinner with his mother, Barbara, and attend a Wednesday night church service. The lineman, however, would never arrive. If Arkansas could just run the clock and punt the ball deep, theyd likely upset the top-ranked Vols in Neyland Stadium. History happened, he said. He earned first-team All-SEC honors in 1997 and 1998; he was also named a first-team All-American during the 1998 campaign. In fact, Ed, who works for FedEx in Harrison and has three children, even named his oldest son after Brandon. Burlsworth was killed in a car accident at age 22, 10 days after being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 1999 NFL draft. "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. Also not included in the film is that Brandon and Marty also have a brother named Grady. After all, UT needed a pass interference penalty to beat Syracuse and were outgained by Florida but still beat the Gators. Fifteen years. So sad, so much promise, such a terrific person. 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. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. He was on his heels and I was like, Im not going to stop pushing.'. "Then I turned around and the next player I faced was Brandon. Once his chance, though, Burlsworth seized his opportunity. She agreed, and the night. After minicamp, he was projected by his coaches to start as a rookie. Steichen's creativity and flexibility shined when the Eagles came to Indianapolis in Week 11 of the 2022 season. Less than two weeks after he was chosen in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Brandon was driving home to go to church with his mother. The walk-on who became an All-American, a person who responded, 'Yes sir,' or 'No sir,' to every question, decided to bypass a ring ceremony honoring the school's SEC Western Division title. He wanted to head home, have dinner with his mother, Barbara, and attend a Wednesday night church service. 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 11000. "At Arkansas the coaches told him one day his legs could be stronger. Well, he ends up squatting 700 pounds.". The football fraternity had great expectations from the talented young man but fate had other plans and he was killed in an accident. Burlsworth, 22, a third-round draft pick from Arkansas, was killed in a car crash less than a half-hour from home Wednesday. ( Marty Burlsworth ) From left to right, Brandon Burlsworth, Grant Garrett and Russ Brown pose for a picture in 1997. "The connection with the Colts now is just what we want it to be. It's almost like it was at Arkansas," said Marty. "When you go on their campus, it feels like family because we know so many people. It feels that way with the Colts.