TROY, Ala. – The NCAA's all-time leading tackler at the FBS level, Carlton Martial, is one of three finalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, presented annually to the nation's top player who began their career as a walk-on. Martial is a finalist for the award for a second consecutive year; he is joined by Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett and Purdue quarterback Aiden O'Connell.
A native of Mobile, Ala., Martial entered last week's game against Army needing 20 tackles to become the all-time leader at the FBS level with 546 tackles. However, he erased any doubt that it would happen against the Black Knights, recording 17 in the first half en route to a career-high 22 in the game to pass Northwestern's Tim McGarigle for the most in NCAA FBS history.