Meet Bobby Bell, a 74-year-old man who has inspired a lot of people around the world as he just graduated and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, United States after leaving school for many years.
He (Bobby Bell) who is now 82 years old was a Pro Football Hall of Famer who had to leave school to focus on his football career after he enrolled at the university in 1959. At fifty-two years after he left campus for pro football, he returned to earn his degree in parks, recreation and leisure studies.
Bell said that he made a promise to his father when he left home at 18 that he would earn a bachelor’s degree. He narrated his story in a letter written by him to his graduation class.
He said that even though he had a successful career in Super Bowl and Football, he had always felt that something was missing which he has achieved now at the age of 74.
In his words, he said “However, one thing was always missing. I have rooms full of plaques and trophies but I did not have my college diploma.”
“When I was 18 and left my home in Shelby, N.C, I told my father that I would complete my education. When I was declared for the 1963 AFL draft, I was 17 credits shy of completing my degree. Then football happened, and life happened and I never went back.”
He continued and said “My father died and my mother died, every year I told myself, this is the year! Finally, I decided I couldn’t put it off any longer. Life is too short. The University of Minnesota dug up my handwritten transcripts and worked with me to figure out a plan. It was going to be difficult but hey, I’ve done some difficult things in my life.”
Congratulations to Bobby!!
Credit: Scholarship Region
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