By Jim Gehman, Player Engagement Insider
Even those who are not fans of the San Diego Chargers would likely be impressed by their five-year veteran defensive end Corey Liuget. And it has nothing to do with what he has accomplished on the field.
After being named as an honorable mention All-America by Pro Football Weekly and second-team All-Big Ten as a junior in 2010, Liuget decided to leave the University of Illinois and declare himself eligible for the 2011 NFL Draft. He was chosen in the first round by San Diego.
“It was time to move on to what I ultimately went to school for, which was to play in the NFL,” Liuget said. “That’s why I decided to leave Illinois early.”
The thing is, since joining the Chargers, Liuget has returned to Illinois every offseason and attended classes in order to complete the work necessary for his degree in sociology.
“I always wanted to try to understand why one country does better than the other one,” Liuget said. “With sociology, you can understand it. You can do some research and understand qualitative andquantitative (research) methods on why some countries do better than the other ones. A degree from Illinois will go a long, long way.
Clearly motivated, earning a degree has been a very important goal for Liuget. He is set to graduate in May 2016.
“The main reason (it’s important) is for myself, to say that I am a very educated young man,” said Liuget. “And also for my kids (Corey Jr., three; Eden, two; and Eva, five months), so when they get older I can always tell them, ‘If Daddy has a degree, you should have one too.’ They’ll be more fortunate than I was growing up and they shouldn’t have a reason as to why they don’t have one.
“After my playing days, I look forward to just enjoying life a little bit and then maybe venturing out and doing something along the lines of helping kids out within the educational system.”
In June 2015, Liuget signed a multi-year contract extension with the Chargers for what is worth a reported $50 million. And yet with money in the bank, he has been determined to put a diploma on the wall. Does he hope that some of his teammates and others around the league will see what he has accomplished and follow his example?
“Yes, I definitely do,” Liuget said. “I hope that some of the young guys and future NFL Draft picks and guys who come into this league will see that getting a degree is very important. It’ll feel great to have it. It will carry you a long way.
“It is very important to me to lead and show my own path. Let the light shine upon me. And let me kind of a pioneer for anyone else who will follow.
“The thing that makes me most proud of my career is the fact that I’m able to help take care of my family. God has truly, truly blessed me to be in this position. I’m very thankful and very happy about that and the way my life is going.”