Wyoming fullback/tight end Jahmari Moore warms up before the Cowboys' game against Colorado State on Nov. 5, 2020, at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colo.
LARAMIE — University of Wyoming senior football player Jahmari Moore has been selected as the winner of this year’s Willena Stanford Commitment to Diversity Award.
The award, which was established by the school in 2006, annually recognizes students who have demonstrated with their actions a commitment to enhance and support diversity and equal educational opportunities for all students at UW. Moore, a fullback/tight end for the Cowboys, was one of three UW students nominated for the award by a faculty member.
“Receiving this award is more than recognition for me,” Moore said in a statement. “It is another step for greater change. I know far too many people who are tired and exhausted from all of their screams being unheard and misrepresented. While I am honored to receive this award, I want to dedicate this award to those who work in silence every day and may not always see progress — those who work tirelessly towards positive change but are discouraged.”
A native of Oak Park, Illinois, Moore has been a member of UW’s football program since 2016. Since then, he’s been active in multiple social justice initiatives both on and off UW’s campus. He also reached out to teammates and coaches to be part of those initiatives, including marches in downtown Laramie to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Jahmari’s leadership has left an indelible impression on our campus,” UW coach Craig Bohl said in a statement.
Among the ways Moore sought to improve the experience for UW’s minority students was by exploring ways to improve diversity and inclusion requirements within the school’s undergraduate curriculum. Moore, who is set to graduate this spring with degrees in secondary education and political science, spoke to UW’s Board of Trustees earlier this year about the importance of engaging in social justice initiatives as a student-athlete and will participate in a social justice webinar later this year with the Mountain West Conference, according to a UW news release.
“Jahmari has been a leader since his arrival at UW,” UW athletic director Tom Burman said in a statement. “He is passionate about social justice, and that was evident this past spring. He was active in community events and a thoughtful voice in our internal dialog and how it impacts the young men and women in our programs.”
The award was created in honor of Stanford, a longtime UW faculty member and former member of the Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue committee.
Follow UW athletics beat writer Davis Potter on Twitter at @DavisEPotter.
Davis Potter
College sports reporter
Davis Potter is the University of Wyoming athletics reporter. An Alabama native and 2011 Auburn University graduate, Potter joined the Star-Tribune in 2018 after five years covering Ole Miss and the Southeastern Conference. He lives in Laramie.
