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All Brandon Burlsworth asked for was a chance. Today, his undeniable spirit lives on by giving other young people a chance.
After shunning several Division II offers to walk on with the University of Arkansas football team, Brandon Burlsworth earned a scholarship after only one semester. By his senior season, the offensive lineman had become a two-time All-SEC selection and a second-team All-American.
A throwback player with thick, black-rimmed glasses, Burlsworth also became the first Razorback in program history to earn his Masters Degree before playing in his final collegiate game. In 1999, the Indianapolis Colts made him the 63rd overall pick in the third round of the NFL Draft, but Burlsworth never took a snap in the League. He was killed in an automobile accident a week after his first mini-camp with the Colts.
Determined to keep his memory alive, his family established the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation. Sharing Burlsworth’s belief that every child is a gift, the foundation provides football camps and other opportunities for underprivileged children, scholarships for aspiring college students, and eye care to uninsured, low-income children through the “Eyes of a Champion” program. Today, Brandon Burlsworth’s undeniable spirit lives on through the lives of others.