Graduation Day The Biggest Vol Walk Of All

Dec. 13, 2014

RAC Program Graduates Three

Among the 21 student-athletes to earn degrees Saturday were three members of the Renewing Academic Commitment program, an initiative at UT to bring back and provide support for former student-athletes that return to finish their degrees.

Zack Godley, a pitcher for Tennessee baseball from 2011-13 was one of those that returned.

"It's a great feeling," Godley said. "I'm glad I finally had the chance to come back and finish up, it's nice to know I have the degree with whatever happens in baseball. It's a very good feeling."

Godley had planned on returning last fall following his first season in professional baseball, but the Chicago Cubs organization asked him to pitch in the fall instructional league, pushing his timeline back. He walked out of his final exam as a collegian this week to the news that he had been traded from the Cubs to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"I knew that the first chance I had to do it, I was going to do it," Godley said. "The opportunity came up this semester and I took advantage of it the best I could. My professors worked with me very well in that period where I missed the first week or two of class and letting me come in and get started so I could graduate."

Providing the support to returning athletes is something that sets Tennessee apart from other schools, whether it is for athletes that have only been away for a year, as Godley had, or those that have been away for several years, as fellow RAC grads Jarvis Reado (football, 1995-98) and Dawane Wallace (track, 1996-99) had.

"I commend them for coming back because it's a big commitment to have been away from school and then make that transition back in and commit to finishing that degree," Scogin said. "It's so important, it's so impactful.

"We're very fortunate at the University of Tennessee to have the RAC program because it's very rare to have a program that supports student-athletes that want to come back at the level we do. I'm glad we're able to do that and that they made this commitment to finish what they started."

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By Brian Rice
UTSports.com

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Jordan Williams ran through the T for the final time last month. Next month, he will take the field for the final time in the orange and white when the Vols play in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

But Saturday morning, he made the most important walk of all. Williams was one of 21 current or former student-athletes to make the walk across the stage to receive a degree from the University of Tennessee.

"Just waking up this morning with my roommates Trevarris (Saulsberry), Justin (Coleman) and Brian (Randolph), the first thing I said was `I can't believe we're graduating today.' I can't believe how fast time flies. Being here today and thinking back to the first day on campus, it's just an incredible feeling."

Williams received his degree with 11 other football student-athletes, including six, Mack Crowder, Matt Giampapa, Curt Maggitt, Nathan Peterman, Randolph and Saulsberry, that graduated early with eligibility remaining and will pursue further degree programs at UT.

The graduates from all sports and their families were honored with a breakfast at the Anderson Training Center hosted by the athletic department and the staff of the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center.

Seeing the fruits of the student-athletes' labor is a rewarding feeling for the staff and their director.

"We talk about from day one when they get here their responsibility to prepares themselves for the day that their competition comes to a end and their careers and their professional world starts," said Dr. Joe Scogin, Senior Associate Athletic Director & Assistant Provost. "This is the culmination of a lot of effort and a lot of support. It's nice to have the families here because they have set them up for this success, we've just been there to help them along the way."

"From the first day you step on campus, that's your No. 1 goal," Crowder said. "Using football to help you along with that and possibly have a career in football is something you shoot for, but your No. 1 goal when you come to college is to get a degree. Being able to do that is something special."

Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart each addressed the group, thanking the parents for entrusting the University with their sons and daughters and congratulating them on becoming a part of the very special family that is being an alumnus of Tennessee.

"You get to know these families during the recruiting process as juniors in high school," Scogin said. "There's a lot of growth from when they come in for the first time when they're 16 or 17 years old and now you see them walk across the stage. To know what that means to them and what that means to their family makes this a very special day with these student-athletes."

And it is a feeling and a day that Williams will never forget.

"It's a huge sense of accomplishment, it's something that not everyone can do, it's something not everyone has done," he said. "It's a huge sense of accomplishment to make my family proud."

Tennessee Volunteer Fall 2014 Graduates

Football
Justin Coleman - Communication Studies
Mack Crowder - Marketing, Entrepreneurship Collateral
Matt Giampapa - Economics, Business Analytics Collateral
Jacob Gilliam - Political Science
A.J. Johnson - Sociology
Curt Maggitt - Communication Studies
Marques Pair - Communication Studies
Nathan Peterman - Communication Studies
Brian Randolph - Management, Marketing Collateral
Dontavis Sapp - Sociology
Trevarris Saulsberry - Sociology
Jordan Williams - Sociology

Men's Golf
Brandon Rodgers - Finance, Accounting Collateral

Softball
Melissa Davin - Sociology
Madison Shipman - Anthropology

Swimming & Diving
Kelsey Floyd - Master of Science in Kinesiology, Sport Psychology and Motor Behavior Concentration
Renato Prono Fernandez - Sociology

Women's Golf
Natalie (Chessey) Thomas - Journalism and Electronic Media

Renewing Academic Commitment (RAC)
Zack Godley (Baseball) - Public Administration
Jarvis Reado (Football 1995-98) - Political Science
Dawane Wallace (Track and Field 1996-99) - Psychology

University of Tennessee Athletics

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