A former walk-on safety just turned in the type of performance that gets noticed nationally.
Boise State linebacker Boen Phelps has been named the Burlsworth Trophy Walk-On of the Week after a standout showing against No. 2 Oregon.
Phelps piled up a career-high eight tackles Saturday in Eugene as the Broncos pushed the Ducks to the limit in a 34-27 battle.
He finished with four solo stops and four assists and also chipped in half a tackle for loss.
Oregon came into the game ranked No. 2 in the country and Phelps’ physical style helped Boise State’s defense stay competitive from start to finish.
The Spokane, Washington, native didn’t take a traditional path to this moment. Phelps joined the Broncos as a walk-on safety back in 2023.
He later earned a scholarship and made the switch to linebacker, a move that’s paid off in a big way for Boise State’s defense.
From walk-on to weekly honoree
Phelps’ journey mirrors exactly what the Burlsworth Trophy was built to celebrate.
He already picked up recognition as a 2025 Burlsworth Trophy nominee, and this latest honor adds another line to a story built on hard work and patience.
Going from a walk-on safety to a difference-making linebacker doesn’t happen by accident and Phelps’ performance against one of the nation’s top offenses backs that up.
The Walk-On of the Week honor is handed out each week during the regular season by the Burlsworth Trophy.
It’s a nod to players who took the long road onto the field and made the most of it once they got there.
What comes next for the award
The Brandon Burlsworth Foundation will reveal the finalists for the 2026 Burlsworth Trophy on Nov. 17.
The winner gets announced Dec. 7 at the Burlsworth Trophy Award Show, which takes place at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Earning Walk-On of the Week doesn’t guarantee Phelps a spot among the finalists or a nomination for the full trophy since schools handle nominations on their own.
Trophy’s roots run deep
The award carries the name of Brandon Burlsworth, a player whose story still resonates across college football.
Burlsworth walked on to the Razorback program in 1994 without a single scholarship offer waiting for him.
He worked his way into a three-year starting role and earned All-American honors in 1998.
The Indianapolis Colts picked him 63rd overall in the 1999 NFL draft, but he died in a car accident just 11 days later.
The Burlsworth Foundation was created in his memory and now supports children with limited opportunities, both physically and spiritually.
The Burlsworth Trophy falls under the National College Football Awards Association, a group founded in 1997 that oversees 24 of the sport’s most respected honors.
The NCFAA has recognized more than 900 award winners going back to 1935, and 13 of its awards will spotlight national players of the week throughout this season.
Past winners of the full Burlsworth Trophy include names like Baker Mayfield, Hunter Renfrow and former Hog linebacker Grant Morgan, who took home the honor in 2021.
Whether Phelps’ name eventually joins that list remains to be seen, but this week’s recognition shows his rise at Boise State hasn’t gone unnoticed.
