This past weekend was graduation day for tens of thousands of college students across the country.
It’s a moment all graduates will remember and a time for them to reflect on the years of hard work, sacrifice, studying, partying and being part of a community that they will never be part of in that manner again. It’s a joyous moment and one that should always be celebrated.
For some athletes, it’s a moment they sacrificed to pursue their professional sports careers, so they didn’t have a chance to don the cap and gown, walk across the stage and receive the paper that no one could ever take from them.
This past weekend, three former star athletes, Justin Fields, Ray Allen and Rickey Jackson, finally got to experience that moment and feeling years and decades after leaving their university.
Justin Fields
The youngest of the three, Justin Fields, returned to The Ohio State University to graduate with a degree in consumer and family financial services.
After transferring from Georgia, Fields starred as the quarterback of the Buckeyes in 2019 and 2020. The 2x Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year led the team to two CFP appearances and the national championship in 2020, where they lost to Alabama.
But it was his performance in the 2021 semifinal against Clemson that solidified his star status. In that game, he outdueled Trevor Lawrence (400 yards passing, 2 TDs and 1 INT) and outscored the Tigers by himself, throwing for 385 yards with 6 TDs and 1 INT in a 49-21 demolition of the Tigers.
The Chicago Bears selected Fields with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and after a rookie season marred by the offense of Matt Nagy, Fields looks to build upon a good 2022 season.
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