Herschel Walker, the legendary University of Georgia football star, crossed the stage at the university’s graduation ceremony this Friday, finally earning his degree in Housing Management and Policy from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Walker, who left UGA in 1983 to pursue a professional football career, famously claimed to have already graduated, a statement later proven false.
Now, at 62, the Heisman Trophy winner has made it official, fulfilling a long-delayed goal. Walker shared his excitement online, celebrating alongside this year’s graduating Bulldogs, fresh off their SEC Championship win.
Walker’s return to school faced obstacles. He balanced in-person studies in Athens with online classes, mastering modern technology for the latter. “He thrives on feeding his brain,” UGA Assistant Athletic Director of Academics Cory Kopaniasz told reporters.
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Walker embraced student life, enjoying pizza with classmates and taking graduation photos.
Walker, who led Georgia to a national championship and competed in bobsledding and MMA, now completes what he began. His post-football ventures, including a turbulent 2022 Senate campaign in Georgia, have kept him in the headlines.
According to Walker’s friend and former teammate Daryll Jones, “He’s a role model and a lot of people really love Herschel, so he just had some unfinished business that he felt like he needed to do.”
