FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Old Dominion University senior linebacker TJ Ricks was nominated for the Brandon Burlsworth Trophy, the Burlsworth Trophy and the Springdale (AR) Rotary Club announced on Tuesday.
The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding football player 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 a FBS (D1) football program without financial aid of any kind from his university’s athletic department.
A native of Hampton, Ricks leads the Monarchs with 66 tackles and has 1.5 tackles for loss, as well as four pass breakups. He has led ODU in tackles three times this season, including a season-best 14 tackles in the win over UTSA.
Ricks was a 2015 semifinalist for the Burlsworthy Trophy.