North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Dedicated to His Degree
5/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
May 13, 2005
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH -- Troy Graham isn't sure what he will do when he gets his college degree in his hands Saturday afternoon. No one in his family can give him any advice either.
As the first member of his family to earn a college degree, this is all a new experience for the former NC State safety.
But it will be one of the proudest moments in the family's history, one he will share with his parents, Wilbert and Perlene Graham, his older brother Anthony and his younger sister Christina.
"That is what pushed me and made me want to complete all of the work I had to do," Graham said.
There may be bigger stars among the 43 athletes who will receive their degrees Satruday - men's basketball standout Julius Hodge is likely to get much attention for fulfilling the promise he made to his mother to get his degree in Communications before he went to the NBA - but Graham will be one of the best stories among the 3,900 students who will receive their diplomas spring graduating ceremonies at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Graham arrived on campus from his hometown of Miami as part of head football coach Chuck Amato's first recruiting class with the designation "partial qualifier," which was a previously used system that tacitly flagged Graham as an academic risk coming into college.
It meant that he had met some, but not all, of the NCAA requirements for initial eligibility. Under NCAA rules at the time, he could practice with the football team, but not participate in games. It was a redshirt year with an asterisk, because NCAA guidelines only allowed partial qualifiers a fourth year of athletic eligibility with solid performance in the classroom.
Graham was determined to do everything necessary to get his degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, so he went to every scheduled study hall and was on time for every scheduled appointment with his academic advisors.
That discipline carried over to the football field, where he not only adjusted to the rigors and demands of playing in a Division I-A football program but also learned to play a new position. Graham, a high school track star, arrived at NC State as a wide receiver, but was moved to defense, where he was a starter at free safety in his final two years.
"There's a great story right there," Amato said. "He came up here as a partial qualifier. He worked and worked and worked and worked. He didn't miss anything. "He used all the support system that we have here at school. He went to class, paid attention, took notes and studied."
Graham gets just as much praise for his diligent work from the advisors that helped him with his academics.
"He is someone who from day one was extremely motivated and worked real hard to do what he had to do," said Jody Moylon, Graham's academic advisor. "He came in, worked with tutors, put in study hall time, went to class, had great relationship with everyone here. Really dedicated himself to getting his degree at NC State.
"A lot of times, when you are working with students, you have to work on that motivation. Troy stepped foot on campus and did really well. He worked hard, went to class and did everything he needed to do."
While Graham's motivation was to get his degree, he also wanted to wind up in a better situation than most of his friends for Miami Central High School.
Most of them are either dead or in jail, lost to the drugs and gangs that were so prevalent in the Opalocka community where he grew up. Graham often thought about those acquaintances when he thought he was having a rough time at NC State.
"In practice, when I was down and out and thinking I couldn't do this any more, I would think about them," Graham said. "They gave me the energy to get through, knowing that there were so many other people who would die to be in the position I was in.
"I had a very good opportunity in front of me and I had to take advantage of it."
For Moylon, watching Graham graduate Saturday will be an emotional event.
"I can't describe what I am feeling right now," Moylon said. "I am really proud of him. He has really done it himself. He has taken the responsibility.
"He is very confident now."
Graham is still pursuing his dream of playing professional football. He worked out for the San Diego Chargers last week and is scheduled to visit with the New York Giants next week. There's still the outside possibility of playing professional football.
But Graham also knows that with a degree in his hand, he will have other options as well. He's working on his real estate license right now, and has thoughts of going into coaching or some other sports-related field.
"It really hasn't hit me yet that I will be graduating," Graham said. "On Saturday, when I am surrounded by my family, I think that is when the emotions will flare up. It will be a lot like playing that last game."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
