FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nominees Announced for 2013 Burlsworth Trophy
53 student-athletes who walked on to football programs recognized
SPRINGDALE, Ark., Nov. 12, 2013 – Burlsworth Trophy and presenting sponsor, the Springdale (Ark.) Rotary Club, are pleased to announce the 53 student-athletes selected as nominees for the 2013 Burlsworth Trophy. The 2013 list includes standout players and national statistical leaders from every major conference in the nation.
The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding collegiate football player who began his career as a walk-on. A walk-on is defined as a player who began his first season of participation with a Division I (FBS) football program without financial aid of any kind from his university’s athletic department.
The 2012 winner was Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin, who set nine school records during his senior year, throwing for 3,266 yards and 24 touchdowns while leading the Nittany Lions to an 8-4 record. McGloin went undrafted but made the Oakland Raiders roster this year and is currently the backup to starter Terrelle Pryor.
Previous Burlsworth Trophy winners were Southern Mississippi quarterback Austin Davis in 2011, and Georgia Tech center Sean Bedford in 2010.
The trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, who walked on to the Arkansas Razorbacks 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 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 that have limited opportunities.
“The 2013 class of Burlsworth Trophy nominees are an outstanding group of young men,” said Marty Burlsworth, CEO and founder of the Burlsworth Foundation and brother of Brandon. “They represent their schools well and embody everything that the Burlsworth Trophy stands for: hard word, dedication and a commitment to excellence.”
The 2013 Burlsworth Trophy nominees are:
| Player | Class | Position | School |
| Cody Mandell | SR | Punter | Alabama |
| Jared Tevis | JR | Safety | Arizona |
| Gannon Conway | SR | Defensive Tackle | Arizona State |
| Alan D’Appollonio | JR | Snapper | Arkansas |
| Charleston Girley | Soph | Defensive Back | Arkansas State |
| Trent Fisher | JR | Safety | Auburn |
| Jamill Smith | SR | Wide Receiver | Ball State |
| Clay Fuller | JR | Wide Receiver | Baylor |
| Ryan Burbrink | Soph | Wide Receiver | Bowling Green |
| JD Falslev | SR | Wide Receiver | BYU |
| Brandon Alexander | JR | Free Safety | Central Florida |
| Justin Cherocci | JR | Linebacker | Central Michigan |
| Chandler Catanzaro | SR | Kicker | Clemson |
| Ryan Iverson | SR | Snapper | Colorado |
| Jared Roberts | JR | Kicker | Colorado State |
| Cole Wagner | SR | Punter | Connecticut |
| Justin Hardy | JR | Inside Wide Receiver | East Carolina |
| Jonathan Norton | SR | Defensive Back | Fresno State |
| Jonathan Wallace | SR | Running Back | Florida Atlantic |
| Robert Godhigh | SR | Running Back | Georgia Tech |
| Luke Stice | Soph | Fullback | Houston |
| Mike Meyer | SR | Placekicker | Iowa |
| Ryan Mueller | JR | Defensive End | Kansas State |
| Casey Pierce | JR | Tight End | Kent State |
| Kelly Mason | Soph | Long Snapper | Kentucky |
| Seth Fruge | SR | Linebacker | LSU |
| Chris Jasperse | JR | Center | Marshall |
| Brandon Hayes | SR | Running Back | Memphis |
| Jordan Holder | SR | Wide Receiver | Mississippi |
| Max Copeland | SR | Left Guard | Missouri |
| Spencer Long | SR | Offensive Guard | Nebraska |
| Davis Cazares | SR | Free Safety | New Mexico State |
| Zach Gentry | SR | Linebacker | North Carolina State |
| Craig Cataline | JR | Linebacker | Ohio State |
| Aaron Ripkowski | JR | Fullback | Oklahoma |
| Michael Kutzler | SR | Linebacker | Rice University |
| Chad Young | SR | Fullback | San Diego State |
| Chandler Jones | SR | Wide Receiver | San Jose State University |
| Sidney Rhodes | JR | Cornerback | South Carolina |
| Marvin Kloss | JR | Kicker | South Florida |
| David Parry | SR | Defensive Tackle | Stanford |
| Jon Koontz | SR | Defensive End | TCU |
| Cody Booth | SR | Left Tackle | Temple |
| Travis Labhart | SR | Wide Receiver | Texas A & M |
| Steven Kurfehs | SR | Linebacker | Texas-San Antonio |
| Charlie Will Tuttle | JR | Offensive Center | Texas State |
| Baker Mayfield | FR | Quarterback | Texas Tech |
| Trey Watts | SR | Running Back | Tulsa |
| Jake Doughty | SR | Linebacker | Utah State |
| Jack Tyler | SR | Linebacker | Virginia Tech |
| Spencer Bishop | SR | Tight End | Wake Forest |
| Elliott Bosch | SR | Center | Washington State |
| Jared Abbrederis | SR | Wide Receiver | Wisconsin |