"IT'S SIMPLE: Our nation needs to place a higher value on character. The Burlsworth Character Award has been given out in Arkansas High Schools for the past 15 years in recognition of outstanding character and sportsmanship, and is now nationwide. The award honors the player who may or may not be a top athletic performer, but who represents the ideals and values that Brandon Burlsworth had: to give 100 percent on the field and to stand as a moral example to his team. We hope that this now national high school award encourages the honoree to continue on his path of excellence and inspires others to follow his lead."