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LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard, already one of the most decorated players in program history, is one of 78 players nominated for the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy, organizers announced Tuesday.
The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding collegiate football player who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field. Now in its 15th year, the trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, former University of Arkansas walk-on and All-American offensive lineman. Burlsworth’s story is also the subject of the 2016 movie, “GREATER.”
The Burlsworth Trophy Award Show to honor the three finalists and to announce the 2024 winner will be on Dec. 9 at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Woodard, a senior from Little Rock, Arkansas, was the league’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and named national defensive player of the week by both Walter Camp and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy after his performance in a season-opening win at Houston. He has already tied a school record by winning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week three times this fall and currently ranks fifth in the nation with four interceptions and fourth in passes defended to go with his league-leading 9.6 tackles per game.
The former walk-on at Arkansas is a finalist for the NFF Campbell Award (widely known as the “academic Heisman”) and a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. He was also a member of the official watch lists for the Nagurski Trophy as well as the Butkus Award and Chuck Bednarik Award. The first First Team Academic All-America winner from UNLV football, the two-year team captain was also on the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy and the team’s nominee for the AFCA Good Works Team for his work off the field.
The Rebels next play on Saturday at Hawai’i starting at 6 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network. The next UNLV home game is Nov. 16 vs. San Diego State at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale by calling (702) 739-FANS or visiting unlvtickets.com.
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