When the movie Greater hit the big screen in 2016, it felt like every sports fan in the South was reaching for a tissue. It’s a gut-wrenching, beautiful story. Brandon Burlsworth, the "greatest walk-on in history," goes from a pudgy kid with thick glasses to an All-American for the Arkansas Razorbacks, only to die in a car accident eleven days after being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts. It’s the kind of tragedy that Hollywood vultures usually circle instantly.
Naturally, the question on everyone’s mind—especially those who know how the movie industry can sometimes exploit grieving families—is simple. Did Brandon Burlsworth mom get paid for the movie? Did the family see a massive windfall from the rights to Brandon’s life?
Honestly, the answer is a lot more complicated than a simple "yes" or "no." It involves a decade of saying "no" to big studios, a real estate developer who’d never made a film, and a family that cared more about a legacy than a paycheck.
The Life Rights Struggle: Why Barbara Burlsworth Said No
Most people don't realize that Brandon's story almost became a movie much sooner. Immediately after his death in 1999, the calls started coming. Sports Illustrated had run a massive piece on him, and Hollywood producers saw dollar signs. They wanted to buy his "life rights."
In the film world, when you buy life rights, you’re basically buying the permission to tell a story and, often, the permission to "fictionalize" it for dramatic effect.
Barbara Burlsworth, Brandon’s mother, and Marty Burlsworth, his older brother, weren't having it. They were protective. They were still grieving. More than anything, they were terrified that a big-budget studio would turn Brandon into a caricature or change the facts of his life to fit a three-act structure.
They refused to sell. For years.
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Think about that for a second. Most families in that position, facing the immense costs of starting a foundation and the sheer weight of a tragedy, would have taken the check. But the Burlsworths weren't interested in being "paid" if it meant losing control of the truth.
Enter Brian Reindl: The Long Shot
The movie Greater eventually happened because of a guy named Brian Reindl. He wasn't a Hollywood mogul. He was a real estate developer from Fayetteville and a die-hard Razorback fan. He spent eleven years trying to get this movie made.
When Reindl approached Marty and Barbara, he didn't come with a blank check from a studio. He came with a promise: he would tell the story the "Burls Way." That meant sticking to the facts, honoring Brandon’s faith, and keeping the family involved.
So, back to the big question: did Brandon Burlsworth mom get paid?
While the specific financial details of their private contract with Reindl aren't public record, we can look at the structure of how this film was produced to get a clear picture. Greater was an independent film. It wasn't a $100 million Disney production. Reindl self-funded much of it and struggled for years to find distribution.
In these types of indie deals, the "payment" for life rights is usually modest compared to blockbuster standards. Often, the family receives a consulting fee or a small percentage of the net profits—if there even are any profits.
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Where the Money Actually Goes
If you’re looking for where the "Burlsworth money" is, you won't find it in a mansion or a fleet of sports cars. You’ll find it in the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation.
The family has been incredibly transparent about their goal. Any involvement they have with the movie, the Burlsworth Trophy (given to the best walk-on in college football), or corporate partnerships isn't about personal enrichment. It’s about the kids.
- Burls Kids: This program takes underprivileged children to Arkansas and Colts games.
- Eyes of a Champion: A massive initiative with Walmart that provides free eye exams and glasses to low-income kids—a nod to Brandon’s famous "nerd" glasses.
- Scholarships: The foundation provides numerous scholarships to students who embody Brandon's work ethic.
Marty Burlsworth serves as the CEO of the foundation. According to public tax filings (Form 990), he does receive a salary for running the day-to-day operations—roughly $80,000 to $85,000 a year in recent filings. For a CEO running a multi-million dollar non-profit that impacts thousands of kids, that’s actually quite modest. Barbara has remained a pillar of the foundation's heart, but there’s no evidence of her receiving a "payday" from the film that changed her lifestyle.
The "Profit" Myth of Independent Films
We see a movie in theaters and assume everyone involved is getting rich. That’s rarely the case with faith-based or sports indies. Greater had a limited theatrical release and faced stiff competition. While it has become a cult classic on streaming platforms like Netflix, the "back-end" checks for life rights owners on indie films are notoriously slim.
The real "payment" Barbara and Marty received was the preservation of Brandon's name.
Every time a kid gets a pair of glasses because of the foundation, or a walk-on player feels seen because of the movie, that’s the ROI the Burlsworths were looking for. They traded a potentially massive Hollywood check for the right to say "No, that’s not how Brandon would have done it."
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Common Misconceptions About the Movie Money
There’s a weird rumor that circulates in Arkansas and among football fans that the family "sold out." It’s basically the opposite of the truth.
- "The movie made millions, so the family must be rich." Greater grossed about $2 million at the domestic box office. In the movie world, that’s barely breaking even when you factor in marketing and theater splits.
- "Barbara Burlsworth is a silent producer." While the family had input, they weren't "producers" in the sense of bankrolling it or taking a massive producer's fee. Their role was closer to "guardians of the story."
- "The Foundation is just a tax haven." Anyone who has seen the "Eyes of a Champion" program in action knows this is nonsense. The money that flows into the foundation goes toward massive program expenses, like the $330-per-child cost of exams and eyewear.
What Most People Get Wrong
People get hung up on the "did they get paid" part because we live in a cynical world. We assume every tragedy is eventually monetized. But if you sit down and talk to anyone in Harrison, Arkansas, they’ll tell you the Burlsworths are the same people they were before the cameras showed up.
Barbara Burlsworth didn't lose her son to make a buck. She lost her son and then spent twenty years making sure the world didn't forget his character.
Moving Forward: The Burlsworth Legacy
If you’re curious about the financial health of the legacy, the best thing you can do is look at the Foundation's impact reports. They aren't hiding anything. They are a 501(c)(3) that survives on donations and the continued interest in Brandon’s story.
If you want to honor the story you saw in the movie, don't worry about whether a grieving mother got a check from a film studio. Instead, look at how the "Burls Way" is still being taught to walk-ons across the country.
Actionable Ways to Support the Legacy
- Watch the Movie: Supporting Greater on official streaming platforms ensures the distribution stays viable, allowing more people to see the story.
- Check the Trophy: Follow the Burlsworth Trophy every December. It’s one of the few awards in sports that values character as much as stats.
- Support "Eyes of a Champion": If you’re a fan of the story, you can donate directly to the foundation to help a kid get the glasses they need to see the blackboard—just like Brandon.
Ultimately, the story of Brandon Burlsworth isn't a "money story." It’s a "grit story." The family didn't get "paid" in the way Hollywood stars do; they got paid in the currency of a lasting, unblemished legacy that continues to change lives in Arkansas and beyond.