Review of the movie Greater.
The Brandon Burlsworth story showcases the hard work needed to succeed in life, opening doors when one closes and disrupting the stereotypical norm. This film, which is based on a true story, demonstrates the spirit of a true underdog which Defiance aims to portray.
Greater follows Burlsworth, an American football player who dreams of playing for the University of Arkansas and making the NFL. The movie follows his climb up the footballing ladder, how he deals with ridicule, and his devotion to his belief.
Throughout Greater, Burlsworth faces constant setbacks and is framed as an underdog from the very start.
Burlsworth isn’t just an underdog because he isn’t a highly touted prospect, he is an underdog off the field as well. Burlsworth is sheltered by his older brother and mother, who try to protect him from their alcoholic father, alongside the fact that they aren’t an affluent family demonstrates his struggles growing up.
Greater transports us back in time to when Burlsworth is twelve years of age, dreaming of playing for the University of Arkansas.
The University of Arkansas, commonly known as the Razorbacks, is a well-known college football team that plays in the SEC (Southeastern Conference). The SEC is one of the most competitive conferences in collegiate football.
Flashing forward to when Burlsworth finishes high school. He is still pursuing his dream to play for the Razorbacks, but his hopes are crushed when Mike Bender, the Arkansas offensive line coach, tells him he is too small to play Division 1 as a lineman. Another setback.
Burlsworth is determined to play for the Razorbacks and walks on to the squad despite the coach telling him he won’t play. You might be wondering, what is a walk-on? A walk-in is someone who didn’t receive a scholarship but still attends the university to play for the team alongside their degree. A walk-on is a great example of an underdog, someone who isn’t wanted by their own team but attends anyway to prove the coaches wrong. Without a scholarship, the player has to cover the costs of their degree themselves, which for some is extremely difficult due to how expensive it is. Burlsworth was unable to afford this, but his mother helped pull together the funds so that he could achieve his dreams. However, his mother could only afford one year, so Brandon needed to make the starting lineup by the end of his first season if he wanted to become a Razorback. Most walk-ons struggle to get scholarships at any point in their collegiate career, never mind in one season.
Burlsworth piled on loads of weight before he went to Arkansas in order to get bigger for his position. Although he needed to get bigger to play offensive line at the collegiate level, Burlsworth put on more fat than he did muscle. This caused Burlsworth to be heavily ridiculed by both the other players, such as his roommate Grant Garrett, as well as the coaches. The relentless mocking impacts Burlsworth off the field, whilst his performances in training also suffer as a result of his new unhealthy physique.
Determined to become a starter, he began doing extra drills and working on his technique. This grit and determination also allowed him to cut his weight, shifting the fat into muscle. Soon he started performing against the students who had full rides (scholarships) and worked his way into the starting lineup for the Razorbacks. At first this was a bumpy ride, Burlsworth was missing tackles and his team were losing big matches. It is revealed that he has very poor eyesight and needed glasses. Unfortunately, Burlsworth could only afford the cheapest set, a big, bulky pair which he had to wear underneath his helmet. The sore sight was laughed at by the team, but this didn’t last long as he started to dominate and shift the opinions who had seen him be bullied and ridiculed for so long by his teammates.
Burlsworth’s improvements didn’t go unnoticed by Arkansas head coach Danny Ford, who gave him a scholarship. Although this is everything Burlsworth had ever dreamed about, he knew he had to work harder if the team wanted to be successful. Brandon’s determination seeps into the rest of the team, who become inspired by his work ethic and begin to strive towards greatness. After an unbelievable season in his senior year of 1998, Burlsworth is named an All-American. In American football the term ‘All-American’ is given to a player who is recognised as one of the best players in their position and is placed on a pedestal nationally.
At the end of the season, he was drafted in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft to the Indianapolis Colts. This is an incredibly proud moment for the Burlsworth family but also a massive moment for a walk-on to become an All-American and be drafted to the NFL. Although Brandon obviously had talent, it was his hard work and grit determination that saw him rise through the ranks and defy the odds placed on him as an underdog.
Sadly, eleven days after being drafted Burlsworth is killed when he is hit head-on by a trailer. During the mass, the players bring flowers and place them outside the stadium, spelling the words ‘We Trust’. The movie Greater portrays Burlsworth’s tragedy, but also highlights his spirit and determination which was beloved by so many.
