Greater is a 2016 American biographical sports film starring Christopher Severio as American football player Brandon Burlsworth, a walk-on college player who became an All-American, dying in a car crash 11 days after being drafted high in the 3rd round to the National Football League.

Told he wasn’t good enough to play Division I football, Brandon Burlsworth took a risk and walked on in 1994, and he became the most respected player in the history of the programme.

The film was released on August 26, 2016. It was the last film featuring Michael Parks to be released within his lifetime. The movie is very closely based on the real life narrative of the former Harrison, Arkansas, walk-on.

Often after someone passes away, we idolize them in ways that are greater than what they actually stood for during their lifetime. There were flaws with Brandon Burlsworth. The first to notice that would be him.

What is The Movie Greater About?

The 2016 biographical sports movie “Greater” narrates the real story of Brandon Burlsworth, a young man who aspired to play football for the University of Arkansas. Brandon becomes a walk-on player and eventually receives a scholarship in spite of overcoming many obstacles, such as not receiving a scholarship and being initially disregarded by his peers.

The film follows his journey from an underappreciated player to an All-American college football star, highlighting his perseverance, hard work, and determination. Tragically, just 11 days after being selected for the NFL draft, Brandon passes away in a car accident, ending his bright future.

With a focus on Brandon’s inspirational story and his long-lasting impact on his community, the film delves into themes of faith, family, and the influence one person can have on those around them.

In 1999, Marty Burlsworth is waiting for his brother Brandon, who is 22 years old, to be buried. While some people, such as Marty’s mother Barbara, have come to terms with the loss and placed their trust in God, Marty is unable to do so because he cannot comprehend why God would take away his brother just as he was about to become a famous NFL player. The Farmer, a stranger, expresses a similar doubt and tries to fuel Marty’s rage.

As the funeral gets ready, the narrative goes back to when Brandon was twelve years old and had aspirations of playing football for the University of Arkansas. It also revisits his time as a high school player under Tommy Tice’s coaching at Harrison High School.

At that moment, Leo, the long-estranged father of Marty and Brandon and a former musician, tries to re-enter their lives as well as Barbara’s. Since his younger brother is frequently misidentified as his father and is 17 years older than he is, Marty tries his best to keep him safe.

In 1994, Brandon is determined to join the Arkansas Razorbacks as a walk-on after failing to receive a scholarship to play offensive guard. Due to his lack of size for a Division I college lineman, offensive line coach Mike Bender does not think Brandon will make the squad. Other players, like Nathan Ward, Anthony Lucas, and Grant Garrett (who is paired with Brandon as a roommate), are aware of him and constantly make fun of him.

However, Brandon gains muscle and loses weight through hard work, which ultimately helps him prove himself on the field and change people’s perceptions of him. Brandon receives a scholarship from Arkansas head coach Danny Ford by his sophomore year, and he establishes himself as the team’s starting right guard.

Driven by Brandon’s example, the team succeeds almost perfectly in his final year of 1998 through diligent practice and hard work. The Indianapolis Colts select Brandon in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after he is named an All-American following the season. His position coach tells him he has a bright future ahead of him after they work out together in Indianapolis.

Eleven days after being drafted, Brandon is killed when he is hit head-on by a tractor trailer. When his brother Marty sees how much he meant to the people of his hometown and how many have shown up for his funeral, he rebuffs The Farmer, deciding to celebrate Brandon’s life and move on with his own.

What Happened To Brandon Burlsworth?

The main character of the movie “Greater,” Brandon Burlsworth, had an incredible journey filled with success and tenacity, but it ended tragically in a car accident. When he was twelve years old, Brandon had aspirations of attending the University of Arkansas to play football. Overcoming obstacles, such as not being awarded a scholarship at first, he worked hard, became a walk-on player, and eventually was awarded one.

His commitment to the game and his talent saw him succeed on the field; in his final year of 1998, he was named an All-American. The movie takes a depressing turn when we learn that Brandon’s life was taken in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer, just 11 days after he was selected in the third round of the NFL draft. His brother Marty, who is portrayed in the film, was on the verge of a bright football career when this unanticipated tragedy struck and left him struggling with grief.

Who Was Brandon Burlsworth?

American football player Brandon Vaughn Burlsworth played offensive lineman for the Arkansas Razorbacks from 1995 to 1998. He was a walk-on when he first joined the team and went on to be named an All-American.

Despite receiving scholarship offers from smaller colleges, Burlsworth attended the University of Arkansas as a volunteer walk-on football player after graduating from Harrison High School in 1994 and being selected for the All-State team. His pudgy 300 lb (140 kg) frame became a svelte 260 lb (120 kg) after he redshirted his first year (1994).

Over the next two years, he rebuilt himself to a powerful 300 lb (140 kg) offensive guard. He had earned a scholarship and a starting spot on the offensive line as a right guard by the time he entered his sophomore year in 1996.

He was chosen to serve as one of the team captains prior to his junior season in 1997. Burlsworth was chosen for the 1998 College Football All-America Team and was named to the first team of the SEC in 1997 and 1998 as a result of his achievements.

He was the first player from Arkansas to be selected to the first team since 1989 and the first All-American since 1993. From 1995 to 1998, he was also included on the All-SEC Academic Honor Roll each year. Burlsworth was a member of the Razorback football teams that won two SEC Western Division titles (1995, 1998).

Burlsworth earned a business administration B.A. from the University of Arkansas in 1998. He finished his MBA the next year. Before taking the field in his final game, the 1999 Citrus Bowl, he became the first Razorback football player to earn a master’s degree.

Burlsworth received an invitation to the NFL combine following his tenure with the Razorbacks. Burlsworth set a combine record for all linemen with a 40-yard dash time of 4.88. He was slightly under six feet four inches in height, weighed thirty-eight pounds, and could bench press 225 pounds 28 times.

Burlsworth was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts with the 63rd pick in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He impressed offensive line coach Howard Mudd after taking part in a Colts post-draft mini-camp, and the team projected him to start for the 1999 season.

In a ceremony held during Arkansas’s opening home game of the 1999 season, Burlsworth’s jersey number, 77, was permanently retired shortly after his passing. It is only the second number that the University of Arkansas has ever retired (the other being number 12, which was done in Clyde Scott’s honor).

Burlsworth’s locker in the Razorback locker room is protected for fans and players of the future by a glass enclosure. In addition, Burlsworth was inducted into the University of Arkansas Letterman’s Association Hall of Honor in 2004 and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. Burlsworth was ranked as the #1 Greatest Walk-On player of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Era by Bleacher Report in 2013.

On April 28, 1999, eleven days after being drafted, Burlsworth was killed in an automobile accident close to Alpena, Arkansas, while returning to Harrison, his hometown, from a workout in Fayetteville. Burlsworth’s car swerved back into his lane, clipped an approaching 18-wheeler, and then struck another tractor trailer squarely.

The area around Carrollton where the collision happened wasn’t very rough. “For unknown reasons,” according to a state police report, Burlsworth’s vehicle veered left of the center line and collided with a tractor trailer’s left front fender. The car briefly went back to its lane before veering over the center line once more and colliding with another tractor trailer. At the scene, Burlsworth was pronounced deceased. On May 2, 1999, he was laid to rest in Omaha, Arkansas’s Gass Cemetery.

When Did Brandon Burlsworth Die?

At the age of 22, former American football player Brandon Burlsworth passed away on April 28, 1999. Brandon was tragically killed in a car accident near Alpena, Arkansas, just eleven days after he realized his dream of being selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the NFL draft. After working out in Fayetteville, he was returning to his hometown of Harrison when the accident happened.

After swerving back into his lane and clipping an approaching 18-wheeler, Brandon’s car ended up crashing head-on into another tractor-trailer. Brandon was pronounced dead at the scene due to the circumstances surrounding the crash, which were reported as “for unknown reasons” in a state police report.

Brandon Burlsworth Award

The Brandon Burlsworth Award is given annually to exceptional athletes who best represent the moral principles and work ethic known as “The Burls Way.” It was created to honor the legacy of former University of Arkansas football player Brandon Burlsworth.

Each year, the award is given to one male and one female athlete, and it is presented at both Harrison High School and the University of Arkansas. The honorees embody traits like commitment, tenacity, and sportsmanship, honoring the memory of Brandon Burlsworth, a walk-on who eventually made it to the All-American team.

Burlsworth’s dedication to the game and love of it were further honored in 2010 when the Burlsworth Trophy was instituted, which now awards the title to the best Division I FBS college football player who began as a walk-on.

What is The Movie Greater About – FAQs

What is the movie “Greater” about?

“Greater” is a biographical sports film from 2016 that tells Brandon Burlsworth’s inspirational true story. It chronicles his rise from a walk-on to an All-American college football star for the University of Arkansas football team, highlighting themes of faith, resiliency, and the power of one person.

When was Brandon Burlsworth born?

Brandon Burlsworth was born on September 20, 1976.

Where did Brandon Burlsworth play college football?

Brandon Burlsworth played college football for the University of Arkansas.

What position did Brandon Burlsworth play?

Brandon Burlsworth played as an offensive guard.

When did Brandon Burlsworth tragically pass away?

Brandon Burlsworth died on April 28, 1999, at the age of 22.