On April 28, 1999, on a lonely Arkansas highway, a wreck claimed the life of a young man who was bound for glory in the NFL. Brandon Burlsworth, widely considered the greatest walk-on in the history of college football, was a man of hard work, integrity, and commitment, who took no short cuts in life. He was a shining example of a fleeting life lived well. Burlsworth's astonishing physical, mental, and spiritual gifts made him the kind of player that opponents are afraid to line up against. An almost unreal blend of power and speed, Brandon wanted to be the best.
He was.
Brandon was not born with the athletic gifts that are normally required to reach the elite levels of football. Though he desperately wanted to fulfill his dream of playing Division 1 ball, nobody would give him a chance and he failed to receive any D-1 scholarship offers. Risking everything to walk-on at the University of Arkansas, Burlsworth worked harder than anybody else, on or off the field. He would eventually become the first Razorback to earn a master's degree while playing football, achieved first-team All-American honors, and in 1999 was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts and expected to be a first-year starter and anchor the Colts' line for the next dozen years.
Brandon Burlsworth never cursed, drank or smoked, and he returned home every weekend of his college career to see his mother and attend church with his family. This was a guy who did everything "right", only to see all of it snatched away right before he could enjoy the fruits of his hard work. With everything appearing to fall into place for Brandon, we are left with wondering: why? "Through the Eyes of a Champion" has as its goal a reasonable answer to the "why", along with the pure joy of celebrating a magnificent life.
He was.
Brandon was not born with the athletic gifts that are normally required to reach the elite levels of football. Though he desperately wanted to fulfill his dream of playing Division 1 ball, nobody would give him a chance and he failed to receive any D-1 scholarship offers. Risking everything to walk-on at the University of Arkansas, Burlsworth worked harder than anybody else, on or off the field. He would eventually become the first Razorback to earn a master's degree while playing football, achieved first-team All-American honors, and in 1999 was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts and expected to be a first-year starter and anchor the Colts' line for the next dozen years.
Brandon Burlsworth never cursed, drank or smoked, and he returned home every weekend of his college career to see his mother and attend church with his family. This was a guy who did everything "right", only to see all of it snatched away right before he could enjoy the fruits of his hard work. With everything appearing to fall into place for Brandon, we are left with wondering: why? "Through the Eyes of a Champion" has as its goal a reasonable answer to the "why", along with the pure joy of celebrating a magnificent life.
