FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Burlsworth Trophy announced BYU defensive lineman Bracken El-Bakri as one of a record 83 players nominated from FBS Division I schools from across the country for the 2019 Burlsworth Trophy on Tuesday.
In the award’s 10th year, the trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, former University of Arkansas walk-on and All-American offensive lineman. The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding football player in American 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 an FBS football program without financial aid of any kind from his university’s athletic department.
El-Bakri, from Cottonwood Heights, Utah, joined the BYU football program in 2014 as a member of the scout team prior to serving a two-year mission to Dallas, Texas. His older brother, Brayden, was a 2017 nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy as a fullback at BYU.
Now a redshirt junior, El-Bakri has since played in 27 games with 16 starts on the defensive line, including all eight games in 2019. He has totaled 55 tackles in his career, including three tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
Without one Division I 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, Arkansas to honor the three finalists and to announce the 2019 winner.