Herschel Walker earns degree from Georgia 42 years after winning Heisman Trophy
Georgia football had 11 current players graduated at Fall 2024 commencement on Friday and one, very notable, former player. Herschel Walker, the first three-time All American in school history and one of just two ever, walked across the stage and accepted his degree in Housing Management and Policy.
Walker earned the degree 42 years after his career at Georgia ended. That three-year career saw him rush for over 1,000 yards in each season and win both a Heisman Trophy and a National Championship. That National Championship came in 1980, the Wrightsville, Georgia native’s freshman season. When Walker left Georgia, the was the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher with 5,249 yards and 49 rushing touchdowns.
That mark that stood for 17 years before it was broken by Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne in 1999. It was later broken again by Texas running back Ricky Williams. After forgoing his final year at Georgia to sign with the New Jersey Generals of the new USFL where he played for three seasons.
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Walker then made the move to the NFL where he was drafted by Dallas. He had a 12-year career at the highest level rushing for over 1,000 yards twice — once for the Cowboys and once as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Walker also played for Minnesota and the New York Giants.
In addition to Walker, the list of Georgia graduates includes some key players on this year’s SEC Championship team. Fifth-year senior Tate Ratledge is in the group with a degree in Sport Management along with Brett Thorson (communication studies), Smael Mondon (sociology), Cash Jones (communication studies), Arian Smith (housing management and policy), and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (housing policy and management). The group also includes Noah Jones (real estate), Isayah Reeves (housing management and policy), Jonathan Washburn (international affairs), Brandon Moody (sociology), and Sam Shurtliff (management)
