Arkansas' football program began in 1894 and many great players have played for the Razorbacks over the last 124 years.
Picking the four who deserve to be on a “Razorback Rushmore” is an impossible task, but we at HawgBeat attempted to do it.
First, we asked our subscribers to make their arguments on the message board and then we formed our own list.
One thing worth noting is that Frank Broyles was left off because this is only for players. There is no doubt he is one of the – if not THE – biggest figured in Arkansas football history, but he was a coach.
With that in mind, here is our “Razorback Rushmore” for Arkansas football, along with our reasoning…
Clyde Scott (1946-1948)
Several of Arkansas’ early stars could make a case for this spot on “Razorback Rushmore” – Wear Schoonover was the Razorbacks’ first All-American, Jim Benton broke records in the NFL, Lamar McHan was the No. 2 overall pick in 1954, Bud Brooks won the 1954 Outland Trophy and Lance Alworth is a Pro Football Hall of Famer – but Scott gets the nod because he was an incredibly gifted athlete.
Shortly before reporting to football practice, the Smackover native won a silver medal in the hurdles at the 1948 London Olympics. That same year, he averaged 7.1 yards per carry to become the Razorbacks’ first consensus All-American. He finished his career with 1,463 rushing yards, which was a UA record at the time. The Philadelphia Eagles took him with the eighth overall pick in the 1948 NFL Draft, but Scott’s professional career lasted only four years. His No. 12 is one of only two retired jersey numbers at Arkansas and he is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Billy Ray Smith Jr. (1979-1982)
Any number of defensive standouts through the years could have an argument for inclusion on our “Razorback Rushmore”: Brooks and Loyd Phillips won the Outland Trophy, Ronnie Caveness holds school records, Dan Hampton was the No. 4 overall pick in 1979 and is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, Steve Atwater won multiple Super Bowls, etc.
We went with Smith because he is the only two-time unanimous All-American in UA history, earning those honors in 1981 and 1982. Included in his 299 career tackles are 63 tackles for loss. That is 15.5 more tackles for loss than anyone else in school history. Those numbers helped Smith become the No. 5 overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, which began a 10-year career with the San Diego Chargers. He was a second-team All-Pro in 1989 and was named to the Chargers’ 50th anniversary team. Like Scott, Smith is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Brandon Burlsworth (1995-1998)
Arkansas has had several better offensive linemen – Shawn Andrews, Steve Korte and Greg Kolenda were unanimous All-Americans – but none are quite as revered as Burlsworth.
The Harrison native turned down scholarship offers from small universities to be a walk-on for the Razorbacks. Over his five-year career, Burlsworth transformed his body, earned a scholarship and became a starter as a redshirt sophomore in 1996.
He started the final 34 games of his career, earning second-team All-SEC honors in 1997 and first-team All-SEC honors in 1998. As a senior, The Football News named Burlsworth a first-team All-American. Known for his thick black glasses, he was also special in the classroom, becoming the first football player in school history to complete his master’s degree before his final game.
The Indianapolis Colts selected him in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft, but he tragically died in a car accident just 11 days after being drafted. His legacy is still felt in the form of the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation, a book and movie about his life and the Burlsworth Trophy, which is annually awarded to the top FBS player who began his career as a walk-on. His No. 77 was just the second jersey number retired in school history.
Darren McFadden (2005-2007)
The only player that everyone can agree belongs on the “Razorback Rushmore” for Arkansas football is McFadden. Not only is he one of the best Razorbacks of all-time, but also one of the best SEC and college football players of all-time.
After bursting onto the scene with a 1,113-yard freshman season, McFadden put together two fantastic seasons in 2006 and 2007. He won the Doak Walker Award, finished runner up for the Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American both years.
McFadden is one of only three players in SEC history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons. His 4,590 career rushing yards are a school record and rank third in SEC history. With 321 yards against South Carolina in 2007, McFadden tied a 29-year-old SEC single-game record. As a quarterback in the famed “Wildcat” formation, he threw for 205 yards and seven touchdowns on 14-of-22 passing. He also had a kickoff return for a touchdown and caught two more scores.
The North Little Rock native was taken fourth overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2008 NFL Draft. Although injuries limited his production in the NFL, McFadden still managed to rush for 5,421 yards and 28 touchdowns in a 10-year career that included a pair of 1,000-yard seasons – one with the Raiders and one with the Dallas Cowboys.
