ESPN Movie Recounts Bad Day, but Showed 'True Character' of Two Hogs

It's about Brandon Burlsworth and also Clint Stoerner, two Razorbacks not defined by play

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Nov 15, 2023 11:32 AM EST
Original:
Nov 15, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The movie "True Character" debuted on the SEC Network on Tuesday night and, against some expectations, wasn't about a single play against Tennessee on the 25th anniversary of a game. It was more about Brandon Burlsworth and Clint Stoerner plus deeper than the infamous fumble.

To refresh everybody's memory, on Nov. 14, 1998, Arkansas came within basically one play of beating No. 1 Tennessee to advance to the SEC Championship game and have a legitimate shot at their first fully recognized national championship. It was all shattered by a fumble while running out the clock that led to a Vols' touchdown and a shocking win.

That had been a season to remember. The Razorbacks were 8-0 in Houston Nutt's first year as the coach and it was the fifth year for an unlikely offensive lineman from Harrison, Ark., who willed himself from a chubby little kid into an All-American guard.

He and the quarterback Clint Stoerner were summer roommates and developed a bond. Burlsworth wasn't a great interview. He was exceedingly nice and polite, but didn't waste a lot of words. You asked Stoerner how something went and you'd get enough for an entire segment. The respect between the two was immense.

The movie centered around that fumble. The Hogs were running out the clock, Stoerner was going to sprint out to run the clock down. He somehow slightly tripped over Burlsworth's leg and instinctively put his hand down to brace the fall. Unfortunately the ball was in that hand and slipped away on the wet grass in the rain. Tennessee recovered.

Razorbacks quarterback Clint Stoerner loses the ball on a fumble against Tennessee in 1998 as Brandon Burlsworth blocks — Razorbacks quarterback Clint Stoerner fumbles while Brandon Burlsworth blocks during a game with Tennessee on Nov. 14, 1998.
(USA TODAY Sports)

Maybe the best thing about the whole movie, though, is nearly all of the key people around that team are still alive and doing well. Danny Ford, the coach who recruited him, Nutt, Stoerner and a host of teammates were prominent in the movie.

But not Burlsworth. He was killed in an automobile crash while traveling home from Fayetteville to take his mother to church, something he did on a frequent basis. His dream to play for the Hogs and get drafted into the NFL had happened. The Indianapolis Colts had taken him with the 63rd pick in the NFL Draft in 1999 and he had impressed them so much in rookie camp they had already named him the likely starter.

It also talked about Stoerner, who never backed away from the fumble. He's owned the play since the postgame after it happened and never put a second on Burlsworth. Stoerner went on to play two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, primarily as a back-up. He's still impacted by the influence of Burlsworth, whose brother, Marty, worked tirelessly to create the Burlsworth Trophy, given every year to a player who started as a walk-on and became a standout football player.

Marty also has football clinics around Arkansas for kids. It gives them a chance to work on basic drills with former college players, and also attend a Razorbacks' game. That's something a lot of them have never experienced.

It also gives them the opportunity to learn about the "Burl's Way." Stoerner learned that from their relationship, which is something that had a deep, lasting impact on an awful lot of their teammates. That motto is something pretty simple. I've heard him repeat in talks since then and it was the basic message to take away from the movie.

"That simply means doing the right thing, even when nobody else is around," Stoerner said.

If you haven't, spend an hour or so watching it on ESPN+ (under the "Originals" menu selection) or catch a replay on the SEC Network. It's about character, but not just one player. You can include Stoerner in that.