Willie Jefferson, Brady Oliveira receive Blue Bombers community service awards

A couple of Winnipeg Blue Bombers have been awarded a pair of prestigious community service awards by their team.

Willie Jefferson and Brady Oliveira are the 2023 recipients of the Ed Kotowich “Good Guy Award” and the Cal Murphy “Heart of a Legend Award.”

Jefferson was awarded the Kotowich award for being recognized as a player who has “excellent football ability, is a leader in the locker room and shows outstanding effort in the community.”

A year-round Winnipeg resident with his wife and two daughters, the six-foot-seven, 242-pound pass rusher has immersed himself in the Winnipeg community since joining the club in 2019 and makes countless public and charitable appearances on behalf of the Bombers.

A four-time CFL all-star and five-time West Division all-star, Jefferson was also named the league’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2019, the team’s Most Outstanding Player that same year and also the Bombers’ Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2022.

Oliveira is the recipient of the Murphy award, which is presented to a player who has shown “outstanding sportsmanship and dedication to the Canadian Football League and the community.”

Oliveira, a Winnipeg native and product of the North Winnipeg Nomads and Oak Park Raiders before playing collegiately at the University of North Dakota, has received worldwide recognition for his work as a dog rescuer with K9 Advocates in Manitoba, and internationally during visits to Mexico and Bali.

On the field, the 25-year-old took over as the team’s featured running back in 2022 and finished the year with 1,001 rushing yards, third in the league.