Greater

Greater, subtitled The Incredible True Story of the Greatest Walk-On in the History of College Football, is a 2016 biographical movie based on the life and death of football star Brandon Burlsworth of Harrison (Boone County). Burlsworth was a college athlete who played for the Razorbacks at the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County), where he became an All-American. Burlsworth died in an automobile accident eleven days after being drafted by the National Football League’s Indianapolis Colts to play professional football.

UA alumnus Brian Reindl was executive producer for the film, which was based on the 2001 book Through the Eyes of a Champion: The Brandon Burlsworth Story by Jeff Kinley, who also studied at UA. The book was later re-titled Greater: The Brandon Burlsworth Story. Written and directed by fellow UA alumnus David Hunt, the film starred actor Christopher Severio as Burlsworth. The movie’s plot concerns not only the story of Burlsworth’s rise as an athlete through hard work but also the struggle of his brother Marty to reconcile the tragedy of Brandon’s untimely death with faith in God.

Brandon Burlsworth is considered one of the top walk-ons (non-scholarship) football players in the history of college sports. The plot of the movie begins just after Brandon’s death in 1999 as his brother Marty awaits the funeral. It appears that their mother has put her faith in God’s will by accepting the loss. However, Marty cannot reconcile the question of why God allows bad things to happen to good people. His doubt is reinforced by an imaginary character in the movie called The Farmer, who some filmgoers interpret to be Satan, attempting to destroy Marty’s faith in God, replacing it with hopeless anger.

The plot of the film flashes back to Brandon’s childhood playing high school football in Harrison. He had high hopes of playing for the Razorbacks, but when he does not receive a scholarship to play at UA, he works hard to build his size, muscle, and skills on the field. At first, potential teammates laugh at Brandon for being overweight and uncoordinated, but that soon changes when he transforms himself into a talented player who eventually earns a football scholarship. Their initial ridicule is replaced by respect as Brandon becomes an inspiration to his teammates through faith and hard work. By the time his college career ends, Brandon has been named an All-American and is drafted by the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, where he is told that he has a great career ahead of him. Eleven days later, after a workout in Fayetteville, Brandon is driving home to Harrison to go to church with his mother when he is killed in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer.

In the film, Brandon’s brother Marty struggles with the unfairness of the loss as The Farmer challenges Marty’s faith by reinforcing doubt. After attending a tribute to Brandon at Razorback Stadium, a dejected Marty starts to depart but looks back to see the massive display of flowers that has been placed on the field to honor Brandon. He sees the word “We Trust,” taking it to be a sign of Brandon’s message. Marty returns to the celebration of Brandon’s life with renewed faith.

The movie was written and directed by David Hunt, writer of the 2013 film Living Dark: The Story of Ted the Caver. Portraying Brandon Burlsworth in Greater is Christopher Severio, who played the character of Beer Knight in the movie Suit Up. Other leads in Greater were Neal McDonough (of the TV series Boomtown) as Marty Burlsworth; Leslie Easterbrook (known for the Police Academy series of movies) as Brandon’s mother Barbara; and Michael Parks (star of the TV series Then Came Bronson) as Brandon’s father, Leo Burlsworth. (Parks died in 2017; Greater was his last film to be released within his lifetime.) Real-life characters portrayed in the movie include Razorback football players Grant Garrett, Anthony Lucas, Clint Stoerner, and Nathan Ward, along with assistant coach Mike Bender. In addition, there is footage of the real Brandon Burlsworth during the film’s final credits.

The production team began holding open casting calls in March 2013 at Fayetteville, Little Rock (Pulaski County); New Orleans, Louisiana; and Canton, Mississippi. With a tight schedule to avoid budget overruns, filming began in May 2013 at Fayetteville, Harrison, Little Rock, and Farmington (Washington County). In January 2016, there was an exclusive promotional preview screening at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, followed by a roundtable discussion.

The official general release date of Greater was August 26, 2016, with a special screening on August 23 at the Malco Razorback 16 movie theater in Fayetteville. The distribution plan called for the movie to be shown in all states belonging to football’s Southeastern Conference (SEC) and much of the Midwest, along with Arizona, California, Kansas, and Oklahoma, with hopes of expanding to theaters nationwide.

The promotional poster for the movie shows Burlsworth wearing his trademark black-rimmed glasses in a red Razorbacks jersey as his image looms over a man standing on fifty-yard line of a football field. It carries the tag line, “His brother’s life was both the question…and the answer.”

Reviews were mixed, with some critics categorizing the film as primarily a faith-based project rather than a sports movie. Produced on a budget of $9 million, the film grossed about $2 million according to the Box Office Mojo website. It also had a promotional tie-in with Walmart, earning an additional $500,000 in DVD sales.

For additional information:
Adams, Griffin. “A GREATER Look at One of College Football’s Best Walk-Ons.” USA Today, August 22, 2016. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2016/08/22/greater-movie-film-brandon-burlsworth-arkansas-walk-on/89095530/ (accessed February 26, 2025).

“Greater.” Internet Movie Database. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2950418/ (accessed February 26, 2025).

“Greater (2016).” Box Office Mojo. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2950418/ (accessed February 26, 2025).

Holt, Bob. “Burlsworth Movie a 12-Year Passion.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, August 25, 2016. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/aug/25/burlsworth-movie-a-12-year-passion-2016/ (accessed February 26, 2025).

Martin, Philip. “By the Playbook: Film about Former Razorback Burlsworth Scores with Authenticity.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, August 26, 2016. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/aug/26/by-the-playbook-20160826/?entertainment-movies (accessed February 26, 2025).

Murray, Noel. “Review: Football Drama ‘Greater’ Is an Appealing Underdog Saga.” Los Angeles Times, August 23, 2016. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-capsule-greater-review-20160823-snap-story.html (accessed February 26, 2025).

Schager, Nick. “Film Review: ‘Greater.’” Variety, August 23, 2016. https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/greater-review-1201842768/ (accessed February 26, 2025).

Wallace, April. “Greater: Brandon Burlsworth Movie as Unlikely as Razorback Career.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, January 21, 2016. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/jan/21/greater-brandon-burlesworth-movie-as-un/ (accessed February 26, 2025).

Nancy Hendricks
Garland County Historical Society