By Tom Kowalski
NFL Continuing Education Consultant
Returning to school can be a challenging task for former professional football players. Many former NFL players return to school to advance or train for post-sport careers, but they also offer a variety of other reasons for reentering the classroom. These reasons may include keeping a promise to a parent, setting an example for their children, or simply finishing something left unfinished. Still others pursue interests and goals that they were unable to chase as a college student and subsequently as a professional football player.
There are many factors to consider when returning to school. If a former player is planning on finishing his undergraduate degree, he must first identify what his options are in terms of completing his original degree. Important questions to ask include:
- Have the requirements for my program remained the same?
- Do I have to return to campus in order to complete my degree?
- How much will it cost me and am I eligible to receive any sort of scholarship funding to help me pay for my tuition and books?
- Do I have the time to dedicate to attending classes (even online classes), doing homework, and meeting all the other responsibilities associated with being a student?
- If you are returning to the classroom, will you be able to work with students who are younger than you? If you are returning to classes through distance learning, are you disciplined enough to complete a class on your own?
- Do you have the support of your family and friends to take on this responsibility?
“I think that players should return to school whenever they can”, said former NFL player Ryan Tucker, who spent the Fall 2011 semester at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. “To be honest, I was nervous going back to the classroom. I am not an online guy, so I knew it would be best to actually go to class and it turned out to be easier than I thought.”
Former players who return to the classroom need outstanding support systems. There are always obstacles to overcome. “The most difficult part of returning to school was being in classes with 18 and 19 year old kids,” said Ryan. “The professors were preparing these guys to go out into the world, whereas I already had a family, businesses, and volunteer commitments. I just want my degree.”
Like most students, Ryan found it easier to return to school on his own terms. “I am a much better student this time around. I wanted to go back to school, although it did take a while for me to get used to everything like taking notes and doing homework.” Former NFL players are not unlike their adult student peers, and they usually score a full grade point better the second time around, likely because they want to be there.
Other former players have returned to the school to pursue graduate degrees or earn certifications that will allow them to teach or advance in their current careers. But if pursuit of such a degree is for potential salary increases students need to do their research, as sometimes the salary increase does not justify the financial outlay for classes. In addition, graduate school classes do not transfer as easily as undergraduate classes, so choosing the right school the first time is vital to the process.
Players who return to school need to set goals and passionately chase those goals. The NFL Continuing Education Program will help you map out an educational plan and offer you options that you may not have thought possible.
If you have returned to school, please share your experience and any advice that you might have for other former players who are thinking about pursuing their education.