FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (November 6, 2024) – Washington State linebacker Kyle Thornton was named a Burlsworth Trophy Nominee, the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation announced Wednesday.
To be eligible for the Burlsworth Trophy, a player must have started his FBS (DI) college football career as a walk-on. Thornton was a semifinalist for the award last season while former Cougar quarterback Luke Falk was a three-time finalist and won the award in 2017.
Thornton, redshirt-senior and former walk-on from Upland, Calif., leads the Cougars with 46 tackles and is tied for the team lead with 5.5 tackles-for-loss. Thornton has started all eight games and helped WSU to a 7-1 start and a No. 21 ranking in the College Football Playoff Rankings. Earlier this season, Thornton was named the Burlsworth Co-Player of the Week after making a team-high 10 tackles with one for loss and recorded his first career interception in the double-overtime win over San Jose State Sept. 20. Thornton’s interception came during WSU’s 14-point fourth-quarter comeback.
Last season, Thornton started all 12 games and led the team with 87 tackles, seventh-most in the Pac-12 Conference. Thornton tallied 4.5 tackles-for-loss, one sack, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, six quarterback hurries, was a Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll selection and a Burlsworth Trophy Semifinalist.
The Burlsworth Trophy announced 78 players nominated from Division 1 (FBS) schools from across the country for the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy. In the award’s fifteenth year, the Trophy 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.
Each week during the regular season, the Burlsworth Trophy selects a Walk-On of the Week. For the annual Burlsworth Trophy award, the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation will announce the 2024 finalists on November 19. The winner will be announced at the Burlsworth Trophy Award Show on December 9 at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.
“The walk-on athlete is an integral part of college football, it’s in the very fabric of the game,” said Marty Burlsworth, President and CEO of the Burlsworth Trophy and older brother of Brandon Burlsworth. “All of these…
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