FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — UTSA senior place-kicker Jared Sackett has been tabbed as a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given annually to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field.
In its thirteenth year, the trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, former Arkansas walk-on and All-America offensive lineman. Burlsworth's life is also the subject of a major motion picture, "GREATER," which was released in 2016. Each of the 81 nominees must have begun his first season of participation with an FBS program without financial aid of any kind from the university's athletics department.
This marks the second time Sackett has been a nominee for the award, as he also was on the list in 2018.
A native of Fort Worth, Sackett has made 9 of 13 field goals and all 34 extra-point attempts this season in his second stint with the Roadrunners. He has drilled two field goals in a game twice this season, including a 37-yarder as time expired in the season opener against No. 24 Houston to send the game into overtime and a 39-yard field goal to force a second OT, earning him Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He received the league's weekly award again after splitting the uprights from 49 yards at the end of the first half in the 31-28 victory against WKU.
Sackett walked on at UTSA as a true freshman in 2017 and made 19 of 22 field goals (.864) en route to becoming the second Freshman All-American in program history and UTSA's first Lou Groza Award semifinalist. The Fort Worth native connected on 14 of 19 field goals in 2018, when he was again a Lou Groza Award semifinalist as well as a Burlsworth Trophy nominee. He transferred to Arkansas and sat out the 2019 season and then moved on to USF where he made 5 of 7 field goals and all 10 extra points he tried in limited action in 2020 for the Bulls. After not kicking in any games last fall, he transferred back to UTSA for his final campaign, entering this season as a member of the Lou Groza Award watch list.
The Timber Creek High School product has made a field goal in each of the past six contests and now has 48 makes — 20th among active FBS kickers — on 61 tries (78.7%) and 85 PATs during his collegiate career. He stands third in program history with 42 field goals and 75 extra points as a Roadrunner.
"All of these young men had the dream to play college football at the highest level," said Marty Burlsworth, President and CEO of the Burlsworth Trophy and older brother of Brandon Burlsworth, "and they had the work ethic and devotion to make that dream come true. They overcame the odds and achieved beyond others' expectations. That's what the Burlsworth Trophy is all about."
Without one D-1 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 Burlsworth Trophy award ceremony to honor the three finalists and to announce the 2022 winner on Dec. 5 at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.
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Sackett tabbed as Burlsworth Trophy nominee
