Penn State’s Carl Nassib among finalists for Burlsworth Trophy

Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and Washington State quarterback Luke Falk are the finalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the most outstanding college football player to begin his career as a walk-on.

Nassib leads the nation in sacks (15.5) in his first season as a starter. Falk leads the nation with 4,266 yards passing.

Mayfield walked on at Texas Tech before transferring to Oklahoma and is now a Heisman Trophy contender for the fifth-ranked Sooners.

The Burlsworth Trophy honors the late Brandon Burlsworth, a walk-on at Arkansas who became a three-year starting offensive lineman. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 1999, but was killed in a car accident 11 days later.

A film about Burlsworth called “Greater” will be released Jan. 22.

Nassib has also been recognized as a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for the nation’s top defensive player and the Rotary Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman). He is also a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 1:59 PM with the headline "Penn State’s Carl Nassib among finalists for Burlsworth Trophy."