South Carolina senior nominated for Burlsworth Trophy
On Tuesday, South Carolina senior long snapper Hunter Rogers was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy. The award is given annually to the most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on. The player can be a current walk-on or have earned a scholarship.
Rogers is in his fourth year starting for the Gamecocks and is a two-time All-SEC performer.
From the South Carolina Athletics press release:
University of South Carolina redshirt senior long snapper Hunter Rogers is one of 78 players nominated from Division 1 (FBS) schools from across the country for the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy, it was announced today.
Rogers, a 6-1, 206-pounder from Columbia, walked on to the Carolina football program in 2020. After redshirting his first season, Rogers took over the long snapping duties on punts midway through the 2021 season. He has handed both the short- and long-snapping duties for the past three seasons. He was a 2022 second-team All-SEC selection and earned first-team honors in 2023. Rogers is also a two-time member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and graduated with a degree in sport and entertainment management.
In the award’s 15th year, the Trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, former University of Arkansas walk-on and All-American offensive lineman. Burlsworth’s life is also the subject of a major motion picture, “GREATER”, which was released in 2016.
The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a Walk-On and has shown outstanding performance on the field. Each nominee must have begun his first season of participation with FBS (D1) football program without financial aid of any kind from his university’s athletic department.
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“The walk-on athlete is an integral part of college football, it’s in the very fabric of the game,” said Marty Burlsworth, President, and CEO of the Burlsworth Trophy and older brother of Brandon Burlsworth. “All of these nominees have embraced this opportunity and made the very most of it. It’s certainly not an easy path, but through hard work and determination, they have made their dreams come true.”
Without one D1 scholarship offer, Brandon Burlsworth walked on at the University of Arkansas in 1994. He became 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 tragically 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, particularly those children who have limited opportunities.
The Burlsworth Trophy Award Show to honor the three finalists and to announce the 2024 winner will be on December 9, at 7:00 p.m. CST at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.
