Dax Milne named candidate for 2020 Burlsworth Trophy

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — BYU junior receiver Dax Milne has been named one of 67 nominees for the 2020 Burlsworth Trophy given annually to the most outstanding football player who began his career as a walk-on. 

Milne, a 6-1, 190-pound junior, leads BYU with 55 receptions for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns. He is currently averaging 101.2 yards per game and his 1,012 receiving yards ranks No. 7 nationally. Milne is the 17th receiver in BYU history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in a season. His 1,012 yards currently ranks 15th all-time at BYU. 

Also a 2020 Belitnikoff Award semifinalist, Milne is from South Jordan, Utah, and prepped at Bingham High School. He can to BYU as a walk-on athlete in 2018 made an impact on the field as a freshman. He received a scholarship as a sophomore and has continued to excel for the Cougars. He set career marks with nine receptions, 184 yards and three touchdowns in BYU's 43-26 comeback victory at Houston on Oct. 16, 2020. Milne has five 100-plus yard games this season and three other games with at least 89 yards. 

The Burlsworth Trophy announced the 67 nominees from Division I (FBS) schools from across the country. The 2020 Burlsworth Trophy, in the award’s 11th year, is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, former University of Arkansas walk-on and All-American offensive lineman. 

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

The 2019 winner was defensive end Kenny Willekes from Michigan State University. After receiving no division one scholarship offers, Willekes walked-on at Michigan State, where he became All-American, the Big 10 Defensive Lineman of the Year, and Michigan State’s all-time leader in tackles for loss (51). The 2018 winner was Clemson’s Hunter Renfrow, who had 186 receptions for 2133 yards and 15 touchdowns, four of which were in national championship games.

The Burlsworth Trophy will host an awards ceremony virtually on January 4, 2021 to honor the three finalists and to announce the 2020 winner.

The 2020 Burlsworth Trophy nominees: