10 Black Athletes Who Went Back to College to Earn Their Degree

Jarrett Jack After his junior season, Jarrett Jack (center) left Georgia Tech to enter the 2005 NBA Draft. It was his decision to go, but he promised his parents that he would eventually go back to earn his college degree. It took Jack a while — nine years, to be exact — but the Brooklyn Nets guard earned his degree in business management. Said Jack: “My parents always told me that nobody can predict tomorrow or how long anything is gonna last. Just trying to cover yourself on all grounds and have people respect you on all fronts and not just be just a basketball player. I really owe it to my parents.” Emmitt Smith Six years after he left Florida and while he was in the midst of becoming the most prolific running back in NFL history, Emmitt Smith went back to college and earned a degree in public recreation. Juwan Howard One of the Michigan “Fab Five,” Juwan Howard left school early but was adamant about earning his college degree in communications. So, while playing in the league, Howard worked around his NBA schedule and graduated on time. An historic and remarkable feat, especially considering he went on to earn close to $200 million in his career. Bo Jackson The versatile and dynamic Bo Jackson played in the NFL and Major League Baseball. But before a hip injury ended his career, Jackson fulfilled a promise he made to his mother by returning to Auburn to earn his degree in family and child development. Jackson was especially proud of the honor because he accomplished it before his mother died of cancer. Leon Lett A three-time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, Leon Lett had pressure to go back to college and get his degree: He was the only member of his family not to have graduated from college. Eight years after retiring from football, Lett got his degree in sociology and history in 2009 from UNLV. Curtis Granderson Major League Baseball players hardly ever earn their college degrees. As of 2012, only 34 of 917 MLB players had completed four-year degrees. Curtis Granderson left Illinois-Chicago after his junior year to pursue his pro career. He earned his degree in business in 2003. Shaquille O’Neal The Hall of Fame center, who now works as an analyst on TNT, went back to LSU after his illustrious 19-year NBA career. “Shaq” earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies, an MBA and a Ph.D. in education — remarkable accomplishments for the super-wealthy former player. Brandon Jacobs The former power running back used four off-seasons to complete credits to earn his degree in sociology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Brandon Jacobs had attended three different colleges before beginning his NFL career. He became the first person in his family to earn a college degree. Antawn Jamison The former North Carolina and NBA star did not waste much time before fulfilling his requirements for a degree in African-American studies. He went back and finished his degree one year after leaving college. Damon Stoudamire Before retiring from the NBA in 2007, Stoudamire completed requirements for a bachelor’s in media arts at Arizona. That fact gives him a strong position in encouraging the players he coaches as an assistant to understand the value of getting their education.

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