FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — BYU sophomore safety Ethan Slade has been named one of 73 nominees for the 2023 Burlsworth Trophy.
The award is presented annually to the most outstanding football player in American who began his career as a walk-on and has shown excellent performance on the field. The award is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, a former University of Arkansas walk on offensive lineman who later became an All-American.
Slade, a 6-0, 190-pound, redshirt sophomore from Orem, Utah, began his career as a walk-on in 2020 before earning a scholarship in 2023. In three seasons, he has played in 21 games and started all eight games for BYU this season after earning the starting safety job in fall camp.
He is fourth on the team in tackles this season with 44, including 26 solo. He also has one tackle for loss, three pass breakups and one interception.
Slade was a two-way standout who helped lead Orem High School to back-to-back state football titles in 2018 and 2019. As a senior he had 96 tackles, 24 passes breakups, forced a fumble and led the state of Utah with eight interceptions. Slade was recruited by Utah, Utah State, Southern Utah, Navy and Air Force before choosing to attend BYU.