Ole Miss’ Jordan Holder Named Candidate For Burlsworth Trophy

Photo courtesy of Joshua McCoy / Ole Miss Athletics

The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding collegiate football player who began his career as a walk-on. A walk-on is defined as a player who began his first season of participation with a Division I (FBS) football program without financial aid of any kind from his university’s athletic department.

Holder, who hails from Bay Springs, Miss., did not receive any Division I offers out of high school, so he enrolled at Ole Miss and walked on to the football team with which his father, Jamie, was a two-time captain as a wide receiver in the mid-1980s.

After seeing limited game action during his first four years with the program, Jordan Holder came on strong this past spring and rose up the depth charts at slot receiver. The 5-foot-11, 179-pound receiver with good hands has served as a dependable weapon for the Rebels through nine games, recording 12 catches for 110 yards. He has started two games (Vanderbilt and Idaho) and had a career-high three catches and 39 yards in a 44-23 win at Texas. He posted a career-long 23-yard catch in a 27-24 win over No. 6 LSU and has served as the Rebels’ punt returner in Jeff Scott’s absence.

2013 Burlsworth Trophy Nominees: http://burlsworthtrophy.com/?page_id=1386

The 2012 Burlsworth Trophy winner was Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin, who set nine school records during his senior year, throwing for 3,266 yards and 24 touchdowns while leading the Nittany Lions to an 8-4 record. McGloin went undrafted but made the Oakland Raiders roster this year and is currently the backup to starter Terrelle Pryor.

Previous Burlsworth Trophy winners were Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis in 2011 and Georgia Tech center Sean Bedford in 2010.

The trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, who walked on to the Arkansas Razorbacks in 1994, worked his way to being 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 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 that have limited opportunities.

“The 2013 class of Burlsworth Trophy nominees are an outstanding group of young men,” said Marty Burlsworth, CEO and founder of the Burlsworth Foundation and brother of Brandon. “They represent their schools well and embody everything that the Burlsworth Trophy stands for: hard word, dedication and a commitment to excellence.”

— Joey Jones, Ole Miss Sports Information