We interrupt the Matt Walsh hearings, the Michael Boley arrest and the Chris Henry inquiry to bring you a message from John DiGiorgio, linebacker of the Buffalo Bills.
He graduated from college.
|
|
| John DiGiorgio took the undrafted route to a starting middle linebacker job. (US Presswire) |
Period.
So what? So his story is a relief from the spate of bad news involving the NFL and one that should be told. In essence, John DiGiorgio going back to school to gain his degree is a story about what is right with the NFL, and hallelujah.
DiGiorgio was Saginaw's career tackling leader who went undrafted, earned a job in Buffalo as a free-agent backup and stepped in for the injured Paul Posluszny a year ago to become the Bills' second-leading tackler.
OK, big deal. Well, actually, it is because this is the same guy who was so determined to gain his college degree that he did offseason teaching the last two years -- first at the high-school level, then in elementary school.
According to the NFL, 17 veterans last year interrupted their pro careers to return to schools and complete their degrees. I don't know about you, but I like the sound of that more than I do another Pacman Jones appeal.
"It's huge for me," said DiGiorgio. "Going into college there were two things I wanted: The first was to get a college degree; the second was to play in the National Football League. It was kind of reversed, and I was without that college degree. So it was really important for me to go back and get it."
To complete his teaching certificate, DiGiorgio returned to Michigan where he grew up and attended high school. Only DiGiorgio went to Utica Eisenhower High, where he was a star running back and linebacker. He taught at arch-rival Stevenson, largely because the principal there -- a friend of DiGiorgio -- put in a request for the Bills' linebacker.
"Some of my old coaches at Eisenhower were kind of upset," DiGiorgio said, laughing. "They gave me some grief, telling me, 'You better not tell them what's going on over here." It was cool. They treated me real well."
High-school teaching is what DiGiorgio wants to do when he finishes his NFL career, and, as he said, you can never be sure when that will happen. That is another reason he wanted his degree and wanted it now.
"If I put it off," he said, "I probably would've procrastinated. It was just time. As soon as I was in camp with the Bills (in 2006) it was something that was left to do, and I wanted to make sure I got it done right away. Now, as soon as my career is over in the NFL I can get right to work as a Phys. Ed. teacher."
