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Wyoming's Josiah Hall nominated for Burlsworth national walk-on award

Wyo Josiah Hall
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(Editor's note: UW Athletics release)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Burlsworth Trophy Fountain has announced a record 83 players nominated from Division 1 (FBS) schools from across the country for its 2019 award, including Wyoming Cowboys' senior defensive end Josiah Hall.

The trophy, in its 10th year, is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, former University of Arkansas walk-on and All-American offensive lineman. It is awarded 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.

Burlsworth's life is also the subject of a major motion picture "GREATER" which was released in 2016.

Hall began his career at Wyoming in fall of 2015 as a walk-on. Since joining the Cowboy Football program Hall has gone on to: earn a scholarship, play in 41 career games, start 26 games, earn Academic All-Conference honors three times entering his senior season and be named a team captain his senior season. He was a starter on Wyoming’s 2016 team that hosted the Mountain West Championship Game and earn a berth in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. Hall also started on the 2017 Wyoming team that won the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and earned bowl eligibility for a third and fourth consecutive seasons in 2018 and ’19.

A year ago, former Wyoming Cowboy free safety Marcus Epps was one of three national finalists for the 2018 Burlsworth Trophy.

The 2018 winner was receiver Hunter Renfrow from Clemson University. After receiving no division one scholarship offers, Renfrow walked-on at Clemson, where he had 186 receptions for 2133 yards and 15 touchdowns, four of which were in national championship games. The 2017 winner was Luke Falk, a three-year starter for Washington State, where he broke the PAC-12 record for career passing yards during his senior season. The 2015 and 2016 winner was Heisman Trophy Winner Baker Mayfield who was the first pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

2019 Burlsworth Trophy nominees:

School Player Class Position

Appalachian State
Noel Cook

SR

OL

Arizona State
Cristian Zendejas

Soph

PK

Arkansas
Connor Limpert

SR

K

Arkansas State
Blake Grupe

Soph

K

Auburn
Will Hastings

SR

WR

Ball State
Riley Miller

SR

WR

Bowling Green State
David Konowalski

SR

DE

Brigham Young
Bracken El-Bakri

JR

DL

Buffalo
Chibueze Onwuka

JR

DT

California
Ashtyn Davis

SR

S/KR

Charlotte
Alex Highsmith

SR

DE

Clemson
Patrick Phibbs

SR

LS

Coastal Carolina
Chandler Kryst

SR

CB

Colorado
J.T. Bale

SR

LS

Colorado State
Barry Wesley

Soph

OL

East Carolina
Tyler Snead

Fresh

WR

Eastern Michigan
Hassan Beydoun

Soph

WR

Florida Atlantic
Dante Cousart

SR

WR/PR

Florida State
Tommy Martin

Soph

P

Fresno State
Matt Smith

JR

OL

Georgia
Rodrigo Blankenship

SR

PK

Georgia State
Remy Lazarus

SR

S

Georgia Tech
William Lay

Soph

OL

Hawaii
Kaimana Padello

SR

DL

Indiana
Logan Justus

SR

K

Iowa
Brady Ross

SR

FB

Iowa State
Collin Olson

SR

OL/C

Kansas State
Dalton Schoen

SR

WR

Kent State
Matt Bahr

SR

LB

Kentucky
Blake Best

SR

LS

Louisiana
Deuce Wallace

SR

DB

Louisiana Tech
Cee Jay Powell

JR

WR

Louisville
Tyler Haycraft

SR

OT

Marshall
Tyler Brown

SR

LB

Massachusetts
Kyle Horn

SR

TE

Memphis
Joey Magnifico

SR

TE

Miami
Jimmy Murphy

SR

RB

Michigan
Jordan Glasgow

SR

LB

Michigan State
Kenny Willekes

SR

DE

Minnesota
Sam Renner

SR

DL

Mississippi
Mac Brown

JR

P

Mississippi State
Kody Schexnayder

SR

H/P

Missouri
Dawson Downing

JR

RB

NC State
Thayer Rockne Thomas

Soph

WR

Nebraska
Chase Urbach

SR

LS

Nevada
Quinton Conaway

SR

P

New Mexico
Andrew Shelley

Soph

K

New Mexico State
Austin Perkins

SR

DB

North Texas
Michael Lawrence

SR

WR

Northern Illinois
Jack Heflin

JR

DT

Northwestern
Chris Bergin

JR

LB

Notre Dame
Chris Finke

SR

WR

Ohio State
CJ Saunders

SR

WR

Oklahoma State
Matt Ammendola

SR

K

Old Dominion
Demetrius Stitmon

JR

LB

Oregon State
Daniel Rodriguez

SR

P

Penn State
Jan Johnson

SR

LB

Pittsburgh
Jimmy Morrissey

JR

OC

Rice
Chris Barnes

SR

PK

Rutgers
Cole Murphy

SR

WR/H

San Diego State
Jesse Matthews

Fresh

WR

San Jose State
Josh Love

SR

QB

SMU
Gerrit Choate

JR

DE

South Carolina
Parker White

JR

PK

USC
Chase McGrath

Soph

PK

Stanford
Ryan Beecher

SR

ILB

Syracuse
Andre Szmyt

Soph

K

Temple
Zack Mesday

SR

DE

Texas A & M
Braden White

JR

LB

Toledo
Reggie Gilliam

SR

TE

Troy
Carlton Martial

Soph

LB

Tulane
Merek Glover

JR

K

UCLA
Joshua Kelley

SR

RB

Utah
Paul Toala

SR

OL

Utah State
Dominik Eberle

SR

PK

Virginia
Brenton Nelson

JR

S

Wake Forest
Jack Freudenthal

SR

TE

Washington
Myles Bryant

SR

DB

Washington State
Brandon Arconada

SR

WR

West Virginia
Dante Bonamico

JR

S

Western Kentucky
Ta'Corian Darden

SR

NB

Wisconsin
Matt Henningsen

Soph

DE

Wyoming
Josiah Hall

SR

DE








“This award is about the journey, the incredibly challenging journey that all of these nominees have taken,” said Marty Burlsworth, CEO and founder of the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation and older brother of Brandon. “When you begin your college career as a Walk-On there are plenty of skeptics, those that think you can’t do it. This group of Burlsworth Trophy nominees have proven all the skeptics wrong. They have put in an immense about of work and overcame numerous obstacles to make 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, in particular those children who have limited opportunities.

The Brandon Burlsworth Foundation, in conjunction with Springdale Rotary Club, will host an awards ceremony on December 9, 2019 in Springdale, AR to honor the three finalists and to announce the 2019 winner.