UW's Marcotte nominated for Allstate AFCA Good Works Team

Jul. 24—LARAMIE — University of Wyoming junior tight end Jackson Marcotte was recently nominated for the prestigious Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

The nominations, announced recently by Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association, include 114 student-athletes with exemplary community service, academic dedication and impact on and off the field.

Academically, Marcotte earned his bachelor's degree in political science at UW in two and half years. During the past year, he was in his first-year of law school at UW while continuing to play college football. He will be entering his second year of law school for the fall semester.

When Marcotte isn't pursuing his law degree or preparing for the upcoming football season, he is involved in a number of volunteer activities. He is a member of the UW Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Executive Board. He also serves as co-chair of the Mountain West Social Justice Committee and he participates in the Pistol and Friends Pen Pal Program.

A native of Mt. Carmel, Illinois, Marcotte faced a series of challenges on the football field, including a severe knee injury followed by a second knee injury — overcoming both to return to play for the Cowboys. His injury challenges began during the 2019 football season against Utah State. He was told he may be looking at up to a two-year recovery. But he came back from surgery and rehab, was ready to play in six and a half months and was cleared to play for the start of the COVID season of 2020.

Marcotte played in the first five games of the 2020 season for the Cowboys. But prior to the sixth and final game of the COVID-shortened season against Boise State, he had a routine checkup scheduled with his doctor. The result of that exam was torn ligaments again.

"I had an MRI on Monday, practiced Monday night, felt great and then Tuesday morning the surgeon called and said everything was torn again," Marcotte said in a news release. "I didn't even realize it.

"I took some time after that and went home for the holidays. After the first injury, I stayed in Laramie for over a year. I didn't go home for Christmas (2019). I didn't go home for the summer. When everyone went home during COVID, I stayed here for that two to three-month span and was just doing rehab here.

"But when I was told that everything was torn again, I think that was when the mental side of things got really hard," Marcotte continued. "That took a lot of conversations with coaches and family to decide what I was going to do. I thought that might be a longer process, but within a couple days I had decided I was going to try again. It was just a response thing.

"I came back in January (2021) for that second surgery and went at it all again. Our sports medicine staff, Dave Kerns (UW head athletic trainer for football), combined with our strength staff gave me the resources I needed to make that easier from a mental standpoint."

It wasn't only his desire to play again that fueled his second comeback. He also had a lot of other people who were motivating him to come back.

"I thought a lot about my teammates and the fans during my rehab," Marcotte said. "I'm not from Wyoming, but I feel like I'm from Wyoming now. I wanted to be able to play for my teammates, for our fans and for this state because it is a really unique place. I always kept that in the back of my mind."

During the time Marcotte was going through his second knee surgery followed by another grueling rehab period, it wasn't all that was on his mind. He was thinking about pursuing another dream of his — to go to law school.

"One of my first academic meetings here at Wyoming kind of surprised my academic advisor," Marcotte said. "They looked at my class schedule and said we don't think this is right. But I had accumulated enough college credits throughout high school that I was pretty far along when I began college. I finished my undergrad in two and a half years and then delayed my graduation until May (of 2021).

"Well before I was done with my undergrad, our academic counseling staff had asked me what I wanted to do after graduation since I wanted to continue playing football. I threw out the idea of law school, which was something I've always wanted to do, but I wasn't very optimistic about it and didn't know if it was doable. I met with some people in our athletics administration, as well as the law school dean to talk about the feasibility of it. I kind of just kept moving forward with the process. I took the entrance exam, the LSAT. I went ahead and applied and got accepted. Everyone was pretty ecstatic for me."

It was fortunate for Marcotte that his first-year law school classes were in the mornings, allowing him to go to his football meetings and practices in the afternoons.

With a bachelor's degree in political science and now pursuing his law degree, Marcotte sees politics as a possibility in his future.

Nomination criteria

Established in 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is one of the most coveted community service awards in college football. From the 114 nominees, the final roster of 23 award recipients will bring together 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision; 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); and one honorary head coach.

To be considered for a spot on the team, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining strong academic standing.

A panel chooses the team

The final 22-member team and honorary coach are selected by a voting panel of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members and journalists.

This year's candidates are scholars, leaders and community champions. They have volunteered to build homes, mentor underserved kids and feed the hungry, as well as advocate against domestic violence and civil injustice.

"While these players are tremendous athletes on the field, they are even better people off of it," said Tim Tebow, two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner and 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team member. "They realize that giving back is one of the most important things you can do in your life, and I am inspired by how they have used their opportunities to make life better for those around them. The impact they make will go well beyond their football careers. These men represent the true heart of our sport."

Fans pick the captain

After the final team members are announced in September, fans can vote for this year's Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain through the official page on ESPN.com. Fans can join the conversation on social media with #GoodWorksTeam throughout the season.

"These players embody the best of what college football stands for: character, selflessness and the willingness to serve and give to others," said Todd Berry, AFCA executive director. "The AFCA proudly stands alongside Allstate and each of these players' families and communities to applaud their inspirational work off the field."