By Isaiah Ford
I’ve been goal-oriented my entire life.
I set receiving records in college and played professionally for the Dolphins, Colts and Bears.
But there’s one goal I was never able to cross off my list, until now.
When I left Virginia Tech after my junior year to pursue a career in the NFL, I promised my mom I’d return to school and finish my degree.
I took a class during my rookie season, but it was challenging to study while adjusting to playing in the NFL.
Over the past few seasons, I’ve chipped away at it, and then this year, I became a free agent. My schedule felt more flexible, so I realized this was my chance to go back to Virginia Tech and finish what I started.
Learning from my Parents
I want to coach at the college level after I officially retire from playing football, and I recognized that I will need my degree to reach that goal. However, more than anything, I wanted to graduate to make my parents proud.
My dad, who chose the military over college, has always encouraged me to chase the opportunities he didn’t have, and nothing means more to me than fulfilling his dream of seeing me graduate.
My mom taught math at my middle school, and even though she wasn’t my direct teacher, she was always checking in on my brothers and me.
She loved watching us compete, but she made her priorities very clear.
Grades come first.
If I didn’t earn high grades, I couldn’t compete.
She always instilled in me the importance of a degree to reach the next level because she understood the value of a college education firsthand.
She was a first-generation college graduate, and I’m so grateful she paved the way for me to reach that milestone, too.
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