Tops wideout Messer named as Burlsworth Trophy nominee
Published 10:10 am Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Western Kentucky redshirt sophomore wide receiver Easton Messer (8) runs the ball for a touchdown in the Tops’ 31-14 win over the Kennesaw State Owls at Houchens-Smith Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. WKU become bowl-eligible for the sixth straight year under Head Coach Tyson Helton and improve to 6-2 overall, 4-0 in C-USA play. (Grace Ramey McDowell/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)
By the Daily News
Western Kentucky wide receiver Easton Messer has been named a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy.
The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field. There were 78 players from Division I FBS schools nominated for the award, which is in its 15th year.
Messer is in his third season at WKU and has been one of the program’s most consistent offensive players the last two years. The redshirt sophomore from Louisville is WKU’s second-leading receiver this year with 426 yards and three touchdowns on 30 receptions, and also serves as the team’s primary kick returner. He was named to the 2024 Paul Hornung Award Preseason Watch List earlier this summer.
Last season, Messer caught 42 passes for 484 yards and four touchdowns. He received CUSA All-Conference and All-Freshman Team honors as a kick returner and was also named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team as a receiver.
The award is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth, who was a former walk-on at Arkansas who went on to be an All-American offensive lineman. Burlsworth walked on at Arkansas in 1994 and became a three-year starter. He was eventually named an All-American in 1998 and was selected as the 63rd overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL Draft, but he was tragically 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, particularly those children who have limited opportunities.
“The walk-on athlete is an integral part of college football, it’s in the very fabric of the game,” Marty Burlsworth, President and CEO of the Burlsworth Trophy and older brother of Brandon Burlsworth, said in a news release. “All of these nominees have embraced this opportunity and made the very most of it. It’s certainly not an easy path, but through hard work and determination, they have made their dreams come true.”
The Burlsworth Trophy Award Show to honor three finalists and to announce the 2024 winner will be on Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. CT at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.
WKU is 6-2 overall this season and sits atop the Conference USA standings with a 4-0 record in league play. The Hilltoppers are scheduled to play at New Mexico State on Saturday. Kickoff at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, New Mexico, is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
