On November 15th, Penn State’s own Matt McGloin was named as one of 10 semi-finalists for the Burlsworth Trophy. Now, the three finalists for the trophy have been selected, and McGloin is still in the mix.

This trophy is given to the FBS player who started their career as a walk on, and that shows the qualities of a true winner; dedication, academic success, and hard work.

The second round of voting is on now, and will end at 12 a.m. December 2nd (Sunday). You can cast your vote once per day until then, and this round of voting constitutes a whopping 5% of the consideration for the winner. 5% was also awarded to the winners of the semi final round of voting (including McGloin) and the selection committee will provide the rest of the decision.

McGloin has faced many challenges as a football player over his Penn State career, but through it all has remained dedicated to the program that he can now call home for the rest of his life. Every member of this 2012 team deserves recognition for the hard work they have put in and the strength of character they have shown us.

The Burlsworth trophy was established in 2010 to honor Brandon Burlsworth. Burlsworth was a walk on offensive lineman at the University of Arkansas in the 1990’s. After arriving on campus, he quickly established himself as part of the football program, as well as an outstanding student. Burlsworth was the first U of A football player to earn a masters degree before playing in his final game. He maintained his academic status on the All SEC Academic Honor Roll every year from 1995-1998. He was the first All-American in over a decade for U of A.

In the 1999 NFL draft, Burlsworth was selected as the 63rd overall pick; a long way from his high school days when no Division I schools wanted him. Burlsworth never got a chance to play in the NFL though. 11 days after the draft, on his way home from camp, Burlsworth was in a head on collision and was killed. His family established the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation to forever honor his hard work, dedication, and strength in the face of adversity.

The foundation is used to provide underprivileged children with opportunities, much in the same manner as Big Brother, Big Sister and similar programs. Money is also provided to pay for eye care for those children who’s families can’t afford it through the program called “Eyes of a Champion.” Eyes of a Champion was the title of a 2001 book about Burlsworth’s life and was the name given to him for his signature thick framed, Drew Carey style glasses that he wore, ever under his football helmet.

If you would like to make a donation to the foundation, follow this link.