Tackling Every Opportunity

PROVO, Utah – Mar 16, 2018 – BYU football fans will never forget the team’s 2015 season-opening win against the University of Nebraska on a last-second, game-winning Hail Mary.

For junior linebacker Adam Pulsipher, that game also marked the start of his college football career. He’ll always remember the feeling of adrenaline pumping through his veins as a member of the return team, surrounded by 90,000 screaming Nebraska fans, as BYU received the opening kickoff.

Since then, Pulsipher has racked up seventy tackles and one fumble recovery for the Cougars over three seasons. But his impact goes beyond hits and takedowns. 

Pulsipher also works hard to succeed in the classroom. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from BYU Marriott in 2017 and is now a first-year MPA student. For his combined athletic and academic performance, he was named to the 2017 College Sports Information Directors of America’s Academic All-District Team.

“My play on the field benefits when I’m competing in the classroom, and when I’m competing on the field, I feel an added commitment to the classroom,” Pulsipher says. 

As an undergraduate student, Pulsipher completed multiple internships, where he gained experience in management consulting, venture capital, and business analytics. Through his internships, he made connections that he uses to help his football teammates and classmates advance their careers. He currently works for Silicon Slopes to empower Utah’s technology community through planned initiatives.

“My past experiences have mostly been in the private sector, so this job is something new,” Pulsipher says. “I enjoy putting into practice what I’m learning in the MPA program.”

This year, Pulsipher is involved with the BYU Private Equity & Venture Capital Club, which he helped found a year ago. He currently serves as co-president of the club, which helps students find internships and jobs and facilitates student involvement in various case competitions. In February, he led a team of BYU students to victory at the regional Venture Capital Investment Competition held at Google headquarters. The team will compete again at the national competition at the University of North Carolina on 24 March. 

Balancing football practice, club meetings, internships, and homework is no easy feat. Pulsipher credits the support of his coaches, teammates, professors, and wife, Makenzi, for helping him succeed in all his activities.

“At BYU, we’re blessed to have incredible professors and advisors,” Pulsipher says. “The more I can learn from them in my last year of school, the more prepared I will be for my future career.”

Pulsipher will graduate next year and plans to pursue management consulting. Before then, he looks forward to putting on his jersey—No. 41—for one more season. 

“From football to academics, God gives us experiences, and we need to use them to make a difference in the world,” Pulsipher says.