Virginia Tech junior running back Steven Peoples has been named a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, an award given to the nation’s most outstanding player who began his career as walk-on. The Galax native originally walked on at Tech before earning a scholarship.
Peoples has carried the ball 38 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns on the season. He also has four catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns. He enjoyed a career day in a 38-0 win vs. Old Dominion on Sept. 3 with a pair of receiving scores and a rushing TD.
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 last year.
The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding football player in American who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field. Each nominee must have begun his first season of participation with FBS football program without financial aid of any kind from his university’s athletic department.
Virginia Tech freshman punter Oscar Bradburn has been added to the Ray Guy Award watch list, an honor presented to the nation’s top college punter.
Bradburn ranks second in the ACC in punts fair caught with 19. He is also fourth in the ACC in punts inside the 20 with 17, seventh in yards with 1,731 and eighth in average yards per punt with 43.4. The Sydney, Australia native is in contention for this prestigious award for the first time.
The Hokies lead the ACC with a 41.7-yard net punting average and have allowed only four punt return yards all season.
The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia native and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy.
The Ray Guy Award winner is determined by a national voting body of sports writers, college coaches, sports information directors, and past Ray Guy Award winners.
Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times a punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage, and percentage of punts not returned. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline, and have a positive impact on the team’s success.
–VT Athletics
