Tag: Graduation

Alabama Football Student Athletes of the Week

Alabama Football recognizes their Student-Athletes of the Week with some expected key contributors making it!

In the modern day of Name, Image, Likeness licensing deals, and big-time college football stars, we often lose sight of what really matters when it comes to college athletics. To win on the field you must win in the classroom first, and Alabama head football coach [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] has always preached the importance of getting an education and a degree.

Whether fans admire or despise Saban, they must admit his commitment to his players is admirable. Whether it’s a walk-on player or a star who declares for the NFL draft before his eligibility is up, Saban will preach the importance of a degree until he is blue in the face. No matter who it is, there is life after football and he wants his players to be the most well-developed man, father, and husband they can be.

This week, Alabama football recognized James Smith, Malik Benson and Jam Miller as the Student-Athletes of the Week. For me, Benson is a guy who I think has all of the talent in the world and the ability to change the offense, so to see him succeeding academically should be a very encouraging sign for Tide fans.

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See it: Notre Dame football players graduate in class of 2023

Go Irish, dominate life!

Cue up the Vitamin C on college and high school campuses all over the country this weekend.  The University of Notre Dame class of 2023 had their commencement ceremony on Sunday.  Before the event took place the graduating football players stopped for a photo with head coach Marcus Freeman which you can see below.

Congratulations to the entire class of 2023 and a sincere thank you to them for the last few years that saw them create memories on the field and away from it.  Good luck in the real world and we can’t wait to watch you go dominate the game of life.

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Bears QB Justin Fields graduates from Ohio State

Congratulations to Justin Fields on earning his degree from The Ohio State University.

Justin Fields burst onto the scene with the Chicago Bears in 2022, setting both team and NFL records with his electric playmaking abilities. He even earned a vote for Most Valuable Player for his efforts following his second season. But all of those pale in comparison to what he achieved this weekend when he earned his degree from Ohio State University.

Ohio State’s spring commencement took place this weekend, and Fields was among the thousands of students who graduated. Fields left the Buckeyes after his junior year to enter the NFL draft in 2021 and was selected by the Bears with the No. 11 overall pick.

He had a decorated career with the Buckeyes in 2019 and 2020, leading them to the College Football Playoff both years and advancing to the national championship game in 2020. Now as a professional, Fields is making millions on and off the field. But going to the NFL didn’t stop him from continuing his education.

He balanced his professional football career with academics and was able to graduate with a degree in consumer and family financial services. According to Ohio State, Fields was able to continue working toward his degree thanks to the Department of Athletics’ degree completion program.

3 LSU football players earn degrees

Congrats to these guys on graduating.

While fans love to see what players do on the field, it’s worth recognition when they do something impressive off it.

A trio of LSU players earned degrees during the school’s summer commencement ceremony on Friday. A pair of veterans and returning starters in defensive end [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] each received undergraduate degrees in interdisciplinary studies.

Graduate tight end [autotag]Nick Storz[/autotag], meanwhile, earned his Master’s in Business Administration.

Gaye is a two-year starter who was a Second Team All-SEC selection in 2020. His 2021 season was cut short by an injury after four games, but he returns hoping for a big year playing alongside preseason First Team All-SEC selection [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag].

Jenkins is coming off the most productive season of his career as he totaled 34 catches for 502 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught the game-winning touchdown pass against Texas A&M last fall. The Tigers are deep at receiver, but the fifth-year player will be a key part of the passing game this fall.

Storz, meanwhile, has one of the more interesting stories on the roster. Originally a baseball player, he joined the football team as a tight end in 2020 but had initially medically retired ahead of last season. However, he is back on the roster, indicating he has been cleared to play.

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Jerome Bettis finishes degree from Mendoza School of Business

The Bus has come into the graduation station.

The late great Jim Valvano famously said, “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” Years after being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, [autotag] Jerome Bettis[/autotag] decided the time was right to return to Notre Dame and complete his degree. To do so 28 years after leaving the university showed he wouldn’t give up on finishing this journey. Finally, he has, and the Mendoza School of Business now has one of its most famous alumni in recent memory:

Congratulations to Jerome and all of the Notre Dame students as commencement takes part this coming weekend. No matter how old you are or what you’re going to school for, being able to get to the finish line is a big accomplishment. It can be so easy to throw in the towel when the road is tough, but forcing yourself not to is a must on the road to success. With that in mind, here’s to the future.

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WATCH: Landon Collins kept his promise to Nick Saban

Landon Collins with a massive achievement!

Today, former Alabama safety [autotag]Landon Collins[/autotag] held true to a promise he made to Coach Nick Saban seven years ago. To get his degree.

While Saban is widely regarded as one of, if not the, greatest college football coaches of all-time, he is very involved in his players academic and professional lives. Even after seven years, Saban is holding Collins to his word because he wants to see him succeed on and off the football field.

Saban has always made it a point of emphasis for his players to get degrees, even if it means returning years later. It is really difficult to succeed in the NFL, and not everyone does, which is why it is important to have an education to fall back on.

The level of love that Saban has for his players is really quite unique, even if the media portrays Alabama as a factory that churns out players, not people.

Collins is the first member of his family to achieve this feat, and it is really great to see what this means for him and his family.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama players now in the NFL!

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Forty-Three Clemson Student-Athletes Graduate Thursday

CLEMSON, S.C. – Forty-three student-athletes and nine students in support roles and spirit squads are set to earn degrees during Clemson University’s Graduation ceremonies on Dec. 16. The three ceremonies are set to take place in Littlejohn …

CLEMSON, S.C. – Forty-three student-athletes and nine students in support roles and spirit squads are set to earn degrees during Clemson University’s Graduation ceremonies on Dec. 16. The three ceremonies are set to take place in Littlejohn Coliseum, beginning at 9 a.m.

Ten athletic programs are represented among the graduates, including 18 from the football program. Counting the eight graduating members of the men’s soccer program, 26 of the 43 graduating student-athletes have earned National Championships on the field while at Clemson.

MAC Hermann Award finalist Oskar Agren and NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Defensive Player George Marks are among the eight men’s soccer players walking. Twelve members of Student-Athlete Development’s Tiger Leadership Academy will cross the stage. Seven individuals are earning Master’s degrees, including two-time CFP Champions Nolan Turner, James Skalski and Darien Rencher.

Veronica Fraley, Clemson’s record-holder in the discus and a five-time All-ACC performer, will earn her degree in health science. Five members of Clemson’s women’s soccer team, all of whom went to the NCAA Tournament for all four of their seasons, are set to walk. Jojo Hyatt, the starting catcher on Clemson’s ACC Regular Season Champion softball team will earn her degree in PRTM.

The full list of graduates is below:

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NAME SPORT /AREA DEGREE MAJOR TIGER LEADERSHP ACADEMY
Ben Batson Football BA Communication
Ty Lucas Football BS Parks, Rec and Tour Mgt
Nick Eddis Football BS Parks, Rec and Tour Mgt
Braden Galloway Football BA Sports Communication
Mario Goodrich Football BA Sports Communication
K.J. Henry Football MS Athletic Leadership
Darnell Jefferies Football BS Parks, Rec and Tour Mgt
Frank Ladson Jr. Football BA Communication
Zac McIntosh Football BS Criminal Justice
Matt McMahan Football BS Economics
B.T. Potter Football BA Sports Communication
Luke Price Football BS Psychology
Darien Rencher Football MS Athletic Leadership
James Skalski Football MS Athletic Leadership
Baylon Spector Football MS Athletic Leadership
Will Spiers Football MS Athletic Leadership
Nolan Turner Football MS Athletic Leadership
Jake Venables Football BA Sports Communication
Nick Honor Men’s Basketball BA Communication
Kyle Cottam Men’s Golf BS Management TLA
Oskar Agren Men’s Soccer BA Economics
Charlie Asensio Men’s Soccer BA Sports Communication TLA
James Brighton Men’s Soccer BS Criminal Justice TLA
Felipe Fernandez-Salvador Men’s Soccer BA Economics
Alvaro Gomez Men’s Soccer BA History
George Marks Men’s Soccer BA Psychology TLA
John Martin Men’s Soccer BS Health Science TLA
Giles Thaxter Men’s Soccer BS Mechanical Engineering
Jacob Jahn Men’s Tennis BS Biological Sciences
Kelsey Drzewicki Rowing BS Biological Sciences
Isabella Dudley Rowing BS Marketing
Sam Palmer Rowing BS Genetics TLA
JoJo Hyatt Softball BS Parks, Rec and Tour Mgt TLA
Crystal Childs Volleyball BA Criminal Justice
Sydney Dawson Women’s Soccer BA Psychology TLA
Renee Guion Women’s Soccer BS Graphic Communications TLA
Hensley Hancuff Women’s Soccer BA Sports Communication
Abby Hanks Women’s Soccer BS Criminal Justice
Jackson Moehler Women’s Soccer BA Sports Communication TLA
Riley Coggin Women’s Track & Field BS Accounting TLA
Nicolee Foster Women’s Track & Field BS Parks, Rec and Tour Mgt
Veronica Fraley Women’s Track & Field BS Health Science
Sarah Hill Women’s Track & Field BS Psychology TLA
Ann Babcock Cheer BS Microbiology
Jacob Cameron Cheer MS Mechanical Engineering
Alexandra Forte Cheer BS Marketing
Brooklyn Hollon Cheer BS Bioengineering
Chloe Southmayd Rally Cat BLA Landscape Architecture
Rachael Christensen Mascot BS Bioengineering
Erin Johnson Mascot BS Parks, Rec and Tour Mgt
Nathaniel Hugh Manager BS Financial Management
Jacob Salzman Manager BS Financial Management

These 11 Duck football players graduated from University of Oregon on Saturday

Congratulations to these Ducks! A handful players celebrated their graduation from the University of Oregon, capping off a final year in school full of hardships.

At long last, these members of the Oregon football team can throw their hats in the air and celebrate being done with school. What a feeling.

The celebration has to be extra sweet for this graduating class, as well, after having to endure a year of distance learning and COVID restriction throughout campus. Saying that they’d be happy to have that part of their lives behind them is probably an understatement.

While their time in the class working towards a degree may be over, most are still working towards the ultimate goal of winning a championship with the Ducks on the gridiron, something that they will give one last push for this season. Here are the 11 Oregon graduates from the football team that we are celebrating today:

CJ Henderson set to graduate from the University of Florida

The Jaguars 2020 first-round pick completed his coursework at UF after leaving the football team and will graduate this weekend.

Who says you have to stop your education just because the NFL draft is calling your name? Despite locking in a first-round grade when he decided to enter the draft after his junior season, CJ Henderson, the ninth overall pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020, never made such a compromise.

With a promising but injury-shortened rookie season in the books, Henderson has something else on the horizon besides his impending return to the field: a commencement ceremony. The former Florida football player has finished the requirements for his degree in educational sciences and will walk in Florida’s spring graduation, according to a report from FloridaGators.com senior writer Scott Carter.

“That was an accomplishment I wanted to achieve,” Henderson told Carter. “I just wanted to get it out of the way rather than wait until later and come back and do it.”

Henderson never took a semester off from UF. He took classes through the pre-draft process, summer, his rookie season and even this spring to finish up his degree. He even paid for classes out of pocket when the NFL paused its tuition-reimbursement program due to COVID-19, according to Carter.

Henderson’s father, Chris Henderson Sr., told Carter that he’s proud of his son’s commitment to his education, especially in the face of the difficulties presented by the pandemic.

“I’m definitely in awe of it, because I know how hard it is just to be trying to compete in the league for the first year,” he said. “Some take a break or whatever. I’m just proud of him, the way he stuck with it. The corona year made it even tougher. It was a learning year.”

Though players have the option to continue their schooling after they’ve left for the NFL, Tony Meachem, Florida’s assistant director of academic services for the UAA, said that it’s a rare occurrence.

“I can’t remember a kid that has done that in the past since I’ve been here,” he said. “They usually will get with us the spring after their first year and will want to take some classes. To his credit, he was willing to put in the work besides the work he was putting in on the field. You think someone in his position would be glued to football, but he was doing both.

“It was very impressive for someone to do that in his position.”

To complete school on time while also dealing with the schedule of a professional football player (a rookie, no less) is quite a feat. The Jaguars can only hope his off-field drive translates to on-field success as he looks to build off a first season that saw him total 36 tackles, a pick and a forced fumble in eight games.

Texans DE J.J. Watt to join Houston celebrities in honoring class of 2020

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt will be a part of a commencement sendoff Houston celebrities are organizing for the 2020 graduating class.

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The 2020 class didn’t have a final year like the rest of society; it was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Deepi Sidhu of HoustonTexans.com, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is joining other Houston celebrities, including Houston Rockets guard James Harden and the Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa, to give the 2020 graduating class a proper sendoff.

Houston mayor Sylvester Turner says he is proud of the 2020 graduating class and is appreciative of the honor they will receive on June 5 at 6:30 p.m. in a video tribute.

“The 2020 high school senior class has achieved a major milestone during what is certainly one of the nation’s most challenging times in recent history,” Turner said in a statement. “They have sacrificed and endured, and I am so proud of every one of them. That is why I have asked the city of Houston, along with some extraordinary personalities to come together to honor and encourage these amazing students with a unique and special celebration.”

Watt is a pro at commencement speeches. In 2019, the former 2011 first-round pick gave the commencement address at the University of Wisconsin.