I know it was hard. Youll have all your coursework done and can graduate at the end of the year anyway., Yeah, he said with a smile. Greater than my limited understanding of the painful search for meaning every time a life ends so young. The idea wasnt to be the greatest walk-on, Marty explained, it was to get a scholarship.. He didnt take one summer off the entire time he was at Arkansas. 77 is one of just two numbers retired in the history of Arkansas football. On Aug. 26, the movie about his life, Greater, opens nationwide. On top of that, Dad had trouble with drinking and wasnt really in our lives when Brandon was a little boy. Faith and family they meant everything to Brandon. He wont be going down., Well, thats good, he said, sort of laughing. Bob has been active in the community for many years from volunteer coaching youth sports activities such as soccer, baseball and basketball and also serving in a leadership capacity in community organizations and boards such as United Way, North Arkansas Soccer Association and the Bergman School Board. Official Sites But he had his priorities right. "I wanted Brandon's story to be known. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/brandon-burlsworth-35134.php. Brandon doesnt start out with all that promise. And that spring, the Burls boys found themselves in Indianapolis at the combine. His high school coaches couldnt believe his size when he came back for his junior season. If you followed the SEC back then, you may remember the Brandon Burlsworth story. Brandon Burlsworth found certainty in an uncertain world. Share. Some of that was a little bit of filmmaking andwe were fine with it. The struggles that he had gone through to get where he was were over. Give a Gift SubscriptionBless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register. As they chat, Searcy whittles a face on a block of wood, a symbolic quirk with a meaning made nearly explicit in a startling line. Less than two weeks after he was chosen in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Brandon was driving home to go to church with his mother. Brandon also earned his masters degree at Arkansas before his playing career was done the first Razorback to do so. I can only hope I did as much as I could to help him. Marty wont predict how the Razorbacks will finish in the SEC this season, but he will say that he believes Greater is the kind of film that people will want to see more than once because there are layers of life lessons. Starting the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation shortly after his death, even as the grief was overwhelming, just set those plans into motion sooner. Marty Burlsworth hasn't provided a bio yet. One of my sons, who was in my car with me, started asking what was wrong, what had happened. He asked me to help him, but theres all this certification that goes into being an agent. Today, those glasses remain the symbol of the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation brandonburlsworth.org. He died instantly. near you, Up-to-date reports of crimes near
So because you and your close ones felt like this story could be a film, did you make that known and/or start looking for filmmakers to bring it to life? Most important to Marty and the Burlsworth family: They kept us in the loop.. 131 | NO. 2022 by BBF. He grew up in Barnstable, Massachusetts, graduated from Barnstable High School, and attended Syracuse University. Cindi Hagood is our Program Director of the Eyes of a Champion program. The foundation, established in 1999, has several programs that serve children in Arkansas and around the country. His thick black glasses and resemblance to comedian Drew Carey gave him a unique look. "Brian wouldn't let go.". The phone number for him is (870) 741-7472 (Windstream Arkansas, Inc). He may be gone, but I still want to do whatever I can to keep his dreams going, to keep his legacy going. Always why. The foundation, established in 1999, has several programs that serve children in Arkansas and around the country. Marty's current home is located at . Brandon was the kind of guy you win with.. director of photography Film Editing by David L. Hunt . He just kicked it in, No, this is not happening.. I didn't see it in the theater. He spent his first season of high school football as a sophomore on the sidelines. The brothers age difference is the basis for one of the movies running gags, Martys discomfort at being mistaken for Brandons father. So when Brandon got it in his mind that he was going to be a Razorback, I was all in. But Brandon would stay on campus, working painting the stadium, setting up dorms, things like that and taking classes. Brandons number 77 became one of only two numbers retired in Arkansas Razorback football history. So I think its normal. Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. I think Brandon would be proud of the work were doing in his name. They are active members of the Northside Church of Christ. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization He believes by sheer word of mouth, the movie will develop a dedicated following. On the way there, Burlsworth died an unthinkable death that shook the entire state. 2023
Bob is optimistic about the real estate market in Harrison and is looking forward to meeting the real estate needs of the clients and customers in the area in and surrounding Harrison. I was just so proud of him. Sometimes Marty goes by various nicknames including Marty L Burlsworth and Marty Leo Burlsworth. interested in booking Marty for your event? He is a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. A coda sums up the impact of Brandons life: the programs, scholarships and so forth established in his name. The 22-year-old, drafted 11 days earlier by the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, was headed home to take his mother to church. Real Estate. ", Forgotten? The Vols blocked a kick in that game and the football was picked up by linebacker Al Wilson, who started racing down the right sideline a good 40 yards down the sideline. Brandon wanted to do more, though. Brandon Burlsworth was born on September 20, 1976, in Harrison, Arkansas. Marty speaks nationwide on developing character and overcoming adversity. MARTY BURLSWORTH CONTRIBUTOR Harrison, Arkansas, is about as small town as it gets. He graduated from high school in 1994 and was recruited as a football player for the University of Arkansas. At one point on the gridiron, Brandon argues with a teammate that their perspective on the field is limited; the coach has information from a higher perspective, from a skybox where the whole field can be seen, and they need to trust him. So a few months after his death, we started the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation, where we do all of that and more. He spent as many days as he could in the weight room getting stronger. A list of possible email addresses for Marty includes burlsworth@cox.net, mburlsworth@aol.com. Neal McDonough does an outstanding job as Marty Burlsworth. The latest videos from KNWA FOX24. It was composed and produced by Brian Reindl and David Hunt. you, Subscribe to The Daily
Now, more than ever, with the success of GREATER, he enjoys meeting the fans of his brother Brandon and encouraging others to Do it the Burls Way. I opened the door to Moms house and she was in a state. Marty is an engaging speaker who presents a strong message of character, commitment, hard work and dedication that resonates with young and old alike. It is also possible to rent "Greater" on Redbox, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Apple TV, Microsoft Store online and to . All this plays out in flashback, with all the usual sports-movie clichs, training sequences, montages, comic relief and so forth. This one painful scene is wiser than all the movies the Fireproof / Courageous people have made (including their football movie, Facing the Giants). Marty Burlsworth tells us about bringing the story of Greater to the screen, his relationship with Brandon, and making ones way through understanding and accepting God in times of crisis. It would take 11 years - with Reindl financing the independent production himself when other investors dried up - but in 2016, "Greater" hit the theaters. He wasthatgood. Perhaps Martys favorite play from Brandons college career is one that occurred in the same game as the play he would most like to forget. Born In: Harrison, Arkansas, United States, siblings: Grady Burlsworth, Marty Burlsworth, place of death: Alpena, Arkansas, United States. Harrison, Arkansas, United States. The school was going to give Brandon a scholarship. His jersey #77 was retired at the University of Arkansas as a gesture of honoring his memory. Sure, bring him on up for a game, he said. He loved football, Marty said. Over the next two years he reformed his body to become more muscular and went back to a 300lb physique. Black horn-rimmed glasses. But with no scholarship offer coming from Arkansas, Brandon bypassed offers from smaller schools and accepted the invitation to be a preferred walk-on at Arkansas. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the foundation and has been with the BBF since 2010. So by his fourth year at Arkansas, he was already finishing his masters degree. "I was interested," he said of those early calls from Hollywood. Brandon knew what it was like to be doubted, to be told you werent good enough. He could finally reap the rewards of everything he put into the game all the training, all the schooling, all the dedication, all the hard work. Faith is the river that runs through it all, from Brandon's Christian life to Marty's painful spiritual journey at his death to the care with which those threads are woven together. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or Harrison, Arkansas. ", Trouble was, every time he asked "what input would the family have" in how the story was told, he got the same answer: "None.". Surely God will hear Brandons prayer, if not his own; the prayer of a righteous man avails much, and if anyone is righteous, its Brandon. The state with the most residents by this name is Arkansas, followed by Colorado. We had to have the funeral at the high school gym. I didnt mean to dismiss Moms concerns, but I just figured there was some sort of reason or explanation. So before he started his senior year, I started working on getting my certification. Everybody knew. "I wanted Brandon's story to be known." The next week, Brandon flew to Indianapolis for minicamp. Mom and I picked him up at the airport when he came home. She then pursued her graduate degree at the University of Louisville where she interned for the athletic department.