by Frank Mercogliano, Asst. A.D. for Communications
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Let’s face it, everyone knows the Heisman Trophy. It’s the pinnacle of all college football awards … the history, the pose … Desmond Howard anyone? There are other well known trophies for college football … the Lou Groza for kickers, the Outland for lineman, the Butkus for linebackers, the Burlsworth Trophy for … the Burlsworth?
Yes, the Burlsworth Trophy. In reality, it might be the most important individual award there is in college football, because it honors the one person, regardless of position, that all fans, players and coaches can appreciate. The Burlsworth Trophy is presented to a collegiate player who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field. In the award’s fifth year, the Trophy honors Brandon Burlsworth, former University of Arkansas walk-on and All-American offensive lineman.
Division I FBS schools, such as New Mexico, can award up to 85 full-ride scholarships. That scholarship for an in-state resident basically is worth almost $20,000. UNM’s financial aid website for cost of attendance breaks down all the numbers, but $20,000 is a lot of money to an 18-year just out of high school kid. It’s a lot of money to an adult in his 40s as well. Everyone, Bob Davie included, can appreciate what walk-on are, and what they can do for a football program.
It’s one of the reasons why Davie instituted the New Mexico Man program, where at each home game, plus the game at New Mexico State, a walk-on or former walk-on is given the honor of leading the team out with the state flag. One such walk-on is one of 55 nominees for the Burlsworth Trophy, Rio Rancho’s Zack Rogers.
Rogers carried the flag on October 10 when UNM played San Diego State as the New Mexico Man. For Zack, it was another major step for him in a long journey that has seen him go from an all-state receiver and kicker at Rio Rancho to a forgotten man on the sidelines that waited 45 months for his opportunity.
Rogers statistically is having a stellar season. He is 5-for-7 on field goals, with his career-long of 44 yards turning into the margin of victory against UNLV in a 31-28 win. He is a perfect 37-for-37 on extra points and is climbing the single-season extra points list (he is tied for eighth with those 37 kicks).
He has even picked up punting for basically the first time in his life, and he is third in the Mountain West, and 36th in the nation, with a 42.7 yard average, including a pair of 66-yarders. The stats are great. More than great for a first-year kicker, despite the fact that Rogers is a junior. Of course, his story is how he got here…and he got here by waiting.
Rogers walked-on to the Lobo football team in 2011 under former coach Mike Locksley. Rogers on that squad was behind incumbent kicker James Aho, and then after Aho’s graduation in 2012, he was behind Justus Adams. Punting probably wasn’t even in the thought process of Rogers as All-American candidate Ben Skaer had a firm four-year handle on the job from the time he stepped foot on campus in 2010.
So Rogers waited. And waited. And watched a head coach go. And waited. And watched a second head coach go. And waited. And watched Bob Davie enter the picture. And then he waited two more years for his shot. A shot he earned, and a shot Bob Davie was ready to give him.
“Zack Rogers is a guy who has bided his time, and really has done a terrific job for us,” said Davie at one of his Tuesday luncheons. “He certainly has waited for his chance.”
Forty-five months in fact. That’s nearly the entire term of an American President. Yet that’s the time elapsed between field goal attempts for Rogers, who kicked one in a high school game in November of 2010, and then didn’t attempt another until August 30, 2014 against UTEP. In the fourth quarter. To tie the game.
“Running onto the field for my first field goal attempt, it was exciting because it was to tie the game at 24,” said Rogers to LoboTV earlier this year. “I had to collect my nerves, and then just take every kick like I’ve done, relax and put it through.”
Like almost every kick he has taken for the Lobos, that kick was true. The former state champion wrestler, all-state wide receiver, who dreamed of playing for his home state, it was a day of fulfillment.
“I’ve been coming to Lobo games since I was four years old, so it’s always been a dream of mine to actually play for the Lobos. To actually get out on the field for my first playing time was awesome. It was a dream come true.”
And now Rogers is one of 55 walk-ons or former walk-ons up for the Burlsworth Trophy. There are great players that dot the list of 55, including some other punters and kickers. Make no mistake, even if Rogers doesn’t win this award, he’s won bigger things. Respect, admiration, and couple of games come to mind for the kid from Rio Rancho that attended Lobo games in the Dennis Franchoine era, and then waited 45 months for his chance to run onto the sparkling turf at Branch Field at University Stadium.
In that scenario, in those terms…Rogers is a winner. Every single time.