SAN DIEGO – San Diego State senior kicker/punter Jack Browning has been named a Burlsworth Trophy nominee, the Springdale Rotary Club announced Tuesday. Browning is one of 73 student-athletes on the list.
The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding collegiate football player who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field. Nominees must have started their first season of participation with a Division I football program without financial aid of any kind from their athletic department. The trophy is named in honor of former Arkansas walk-on and All-American offensive lineman Brandon Burlsworth.
Browning has handled the punting and kicking duties in all eight games this season, ranking among the nation's leaders in both aspects. When it comes to punting, he currently owns a 42.14 net punt average (11th in FBS, 2nd in MW), 44.90 punt average (18th in FBS, 3rd in MW), 14 punts inside the 20 (T-18th in FBS, 2nd in MW), 1,751 total punt yards (T-19th in FBS, 2nd in MW), and 218.88 punt yards per game (T-22nd in FBS, 2nd in MW). In the kicking game, he is tied for first in FBS for PAT percentage (100.00) while leading the Mountain West in kickoff average (63.04, 46th in FBS), third in made field goals (10, T-41st in FBS), and fourth in field goals made per game (1.25, T-41st in FBS).
The Lakeside, Calif. native also connected on a 61-yard field goal earlier this season at Air Force, setting a new MW conference and school record. It still ranks tied for the longest made field goal in the country this season and tied for 20th longest in NCAA history.
Prior to joining the Aztecs, Browning played one season at nearby Grossmont College, where he kicked and punted. With the Griffins, he was a second team all-conference performer. He spent his first season at San Diego State (2021) as the team's primary holder for field goals and PATs before taking over all three kicking duties for the 2022 season. He was awarded a scholarship following practice on Sept. 25, 2022.
Previous SDSU nominees for the award include current Indianapolis Colt Segun Olubi (2021), current Houston Texan Jesse Matthews (2019-20), former NFL player Kahale Warring (2017-18), current Tennessee Titan starter Daniel Brunskill (2016), Dakota Gordon (2015), Joel Alesi (2014) and Chad Young (2013).
The 2022 winner was Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett.
The Burlsworth Trophy award ceremony to honor the three finalists and to announce the 2023 winner will be on December 4, at 7:00pm CST at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Browning and the Aztecs (3-5, 1-3 MW) will host Utah State on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. on FS2.
Jack Browning Named a Burlsworth Trophy Nominee
