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John Torchio of Wisconsin named a Burlsworth Trophy semifinalist

Senior safety John Torchio is one of 10 semifinalists for a prestigious award for former walk-ons.

Matt Belz

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The Wisconsin Badgers are known for their historically strong walk-on program. In fact, the football team is currently coached by one of the most prolific walk-ons in program history, with interim head coach Jim Leonhard leading the roster.

As a result, it comes as no surprise to see one of Wisconsin's top defensive players, John Torchio, find success as a former walk-on. Just weeks after being named a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given annually to the top defensive player in the country, Torchio is now up for another major award.

On Tuesday, Torchio was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding football player in America who began as a walk-on.

The nation's leader in interceptions with five, Torchio has put together a huge senior campaign with the Badgers. In addition to his five takeaways, Torchio has a team-high five pass breakups, and he is second on the team with 45 tackles. However, most impressively, Torchio has taken two of his interceptions back for defensive touchdowns, one for 39-yards against Purdue and the other a record-breaking 100 yards against Illinois State to begin the season. Add on 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack, and Torchio has been one of the most impactful defensive players in the country this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Torchio's 90.5 coverage grade this year puts him in elite company and ranks him first among all FBS safeties.

Nicknamed the 'jewelry thief' by teammates and coaches for his knack for generating turnovers, Torchio has taken an unconventional path to become a star player. The California native began his career as a walk-on, forgoing scholarship opportunities from in-state Cal and others to instead join the Badgers, following his older sister Katharine who played soccer at Wisconsin.

A multi-year contributor, Torchio worked his way up from the scout team and earned playing time as a redshirt freshman, including an emergency start against Northwestern in 2019. Since then, Torchio has been a consistent presence in Wisconsin's defensive backfield and one of the more impactful safeties for the Badgers.

Before the season, Torchio credited two factors for his success at making big plays, saying:

"One, coach [Jim] Leonhard. Played safety in the league, was all about making plays himself, so I think he likes to draw stuff up for our safeties to be able to be in the spots to make plays. So that helps a lot. And then, just growing up I played quarterback growing up, and think that definitely helps. Just knowing the mindset of them, what they kind of go through. And so, to flip it to defense, I can kind of think like a quarterback, and flip it to what I'm doing."

Also incredibly smart, Torchio, is an Academic All-Big Ten performer in the past two seasons in the classroom, and he will graduate with a master's degree in real estate this spring.

Torchio won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for his two-interception performance against Purdue earlier this season and interestingly stands alongside Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell in representing the Big Ten as a semifinalist. The complete list of nominees is as follows:

  • Buffalo LB Shaun Dolac (JR)
  • BYU LB Payton Wilgar (JR)
  • Charlotte QB Chris Reynolds (SR)
  • Florida State RB Treshaun Ward (SO)
  • Georgia QB Stetson Bennett (SR)
  • LSU RB Josh Williams (JR)
  • Oregon OL Ryan Walk (SR)
  • Purdue QB Aidan O'Connell (SR)
  • Troy LB Carlton Martial (SR)
  • Wisconsin safety John Torchio (SR)

Former Wisconsin wide receiver Jared Abbrederis previously won the Burlsworth Trophy in 2013, and Torchio will look to become the second player from UW to take home the trophy.

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett is the likely favorite for the award, leading the Bulldogs to the current No. 1 ranking in the country this season after guiding the team to a National Championship a season ago. However, Torchio's productivity on defense is clearly not going unnoticed, and this is a tremendous honor for him and a testament to his hard work.

The Burlsworth Trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth of Arkansas, who was a three-year starter and NFL Draft pick in 1999 before his tragic death in a car accident just 11 days after the draft. 

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Matt Belz
MATT BELZ

Title: Publisher, Beat Writer for AllBadgers.com, a Sports Illustrated Channel Hello, my name is Matt Belz, and I am the site manager at All Badgers. I previously wrote for multiple years at Buckeyes 5th Quarter and have been the leading publisher here since March of 2022.  When I am not covering the Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball teams, I enjoy being outside and spending time with family and friends.  You can follow everything I write about on several different platforms. First and foremost on our site...AllBadgers.com You can follow me personally on Twitter at @savedbythebelz or check out our Facebook page at Wisconsin FanNation on Sports Illustrated.

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