James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
11/11/2026 3:29:00 PM | Football
DALLAS — James Madison's Patrick Rea is this week's nominee for the 2026 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. Rea, a fifth-year punter, uses his position to help raise funds for childhood brain cancer after losing his younger sister to the disease.
"This is something that's very personal to me," Rea said at the beginning of the season. "And I'm hoping that anyone that wants to be involved in donating and promoting this cause, it'd be much appreciated."
Pippa Rea died at the age of 11 in 2015 after battling a form of childhood brain cancer called DIPG. John Paul Macri, a 10-year-old local JMU fan who became close with the football team, also died of the disease this past October.
For every punt that he places inside the opponent's 20 yard line, Patrick Rea is donating $100 to the Robert Connor Dawes (RCD) Foundation, which supports funding for pediatric brain cancer research.
Rea also accepts donations from the community, and he raised thousands of dollars for the cause.
A Melbourne, Australia native, Rea played Australian Rules Football in high school before signing with Louisiana Tech. He spent three seasons with the Bulldogs, playing 19 total games and making Conference USA's Commissioner's Honor Roll and becoming a C-USA Academic Medalist three times apiece.
Rea transferred to JMU in 2025, and he played in all 14 games last season as the Dukes' primary punter and holder. He earned the JMU Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete award for the spring of 2026 as well.
The Dukes are 8-2 overall this season and 5-2 in conference play, good for second place in the Sun Belt East Division. Rea is averaging 42.4 yards on 40 punts, with two touchbacks and 15 punts inside the 20.
About Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl is a primarily volunteer non-profit sports organization with more than 400 members that promotes and serves the South Florida community. With its primary mission since being created in 1935 to bring tourism to South Florida through an annual football game and events, it has also maintained a legacy of charitable contributions and community outreach. Orange Bowl's community outreach is embodied by the four pillars of its Orange Bowl Cares program: Youth Sports, Education, Community Engagement, and Legacy Programs. Orange Bowl features a year-round schedule of events culminating with the 2026 CFP Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Jan. 14, 2027. For more information about Orange Bowl events, including promotional inquiries and volunteer opportunities through the Ambassador Program, visit orangebowl.org or follow @OrangeBowl on social media
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.
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"This is something that's very personal to me," Rea said at the beginning of the season. "And I'm hoping that anyone that wants to be involved in donating and promoting this cause, it'd be much appreciated."
Pippa Rea died at the age of 11 in 2015 after battling a form of childhood brain cancer called DIPG. John Paul Macri, a 10-year-old local JMU fan who became close with the football team, also died of the disease this past October.
For every punt that he places inside the opponent's 20 yard line, Patrick Rea is donating $100 to the Robert Connor Dawes (RCD) Foundation, which supports funding for pediatric brain cancer research.
Rea also accepts donations from the community, and he raised thousands of dollars for the cause.
A Melbourne, Australia native, Rea played Australian Rules Football in high school before signing with Louisiana Tech. He spent three seasons with the Bulldogs, playing 19 total games and making Conference USA's Commissioner's Honor Roll and becoming a C-USA Academic Medalist three times apiece.
Rea transferred to JMU in 2025, and he played in all 14 games last season as the Dukes' primary punter and holder. He earned the JMU Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete award for the spring of 2026 as well.
The Dukes are 8-2 overall this season and 5-2 in conference play, good for second place in the Sun Belt East Division. Rea is averaging 42.4 yards on 40 punts, with two touchbacks and 15 punts inside the 20.
About Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl is a primarily volunteer non-profit sports organization with more than 400 members that promotes and serves the South Florida community. With its primary mission since being created in 1935 to bring tourism to South Florida through an annual football game and events, it has also maintained a legacy of charitable contributions and community outreach. Orange Bowl's community outreach is embodied by the four pillars of its Orange Bowl Cares program: Youth Sports, Education, Community Engagement, and Legacy Programs. Orange Bowl features a year-round schedule of events culminating with the 2026 CFP Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Jan. 14, 2027. For more information about Orange Bowl events, including promotional inquiries and volunteer opportunities through the Ambassador Program, visit orangebowl.org or follow @OrangeBowl on social media
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.
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