BOISE, Idaho – The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl announced the game’s annual Humanitarian Award winners Monday, recognizing BYU’s Adam Pulsipher and Western Michigan’s Jamauri Bogan for their exemplary work in their respective communities.
The duo will be presented with their awards Monday, at the conclusion of the Albertsons Tackle Hunger event at Bishop Kelly High School. The Tackle Hunger event, which begins at 4 p.m., will see student-athletes BYU and Western Michigan compete against each other to see which team can package the most meals in one hour. The meals will be distributed to Treasure Valley families for the next several months.
Pulsipher was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which honors the best football scholar-athlete in the nation, thanks to his continued excellence in the classroom, in the community and on the field. The senior linebacker has played in 43 games during his BYU career, including all 12 this season. Pulsipher graduated with a degree in finance prior to his junior season and is a second-year graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in public administration. He was a 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree.
His community service work has made an impact around the globe. Prior to attending BYU, Pulsipher served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Rancagua, Chile. He has also volunteered in Tonga as a dental assistant and helped deliver medical supplies for the government hospital. In his own community, Pulsipher volunteers his time to provide tutoring in multiple academic disciplines at the Boys & Girls Club, as well as organizing hospital visits for the Cougar football team. He is the co-chair of BYU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Bogan is known throughout Kalamazoo for his play on the field and his work off of it. The senior running back ranks second in WMU history with 42 career rushing touchdowns, including a Mid-American Conference best 15 this season. A 2017 graduate, Bogan is working toward his master’s degree in business administration and intends to use his education to help others as a financial advisor in urban areas.
Throughout his time at WMU, Bogan has served in leadership roles for numerous campus clubs and groups, including as the school’s representative on the MAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In October, he worked with WMU Administration to establish a mentorship program for male African-American student-athletes.
Pulsipher and Bogan will lead their teams in the 2018 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Friday (Dec. 21), at 2 p.m. MT at Albertsons Stadium on the campus of Boise State University.