Twenty-Six Troy Student-Athletes Earn Degrees at Fall Commencement

Twenty-Six Troy Student-Athletes Earn Degrees at Fall Commencement

12/15/2017 10:17:00 AM | Baseball, Football, General, Golf (M), Tennis (M), Track & Field, Basketball (W), Soccer, Volleyball

By: Adam Prendergast

TROY, Alabama – Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member and NFL legend DeMarcus Ware delivered the Fall Commencement address Friday morning as 26 current and former Troy University student-athletes received their degrees at Trojan Arena.

Included in those 26 student-athletes are seven football players who will officially receive their degrees in a special ceremony in New Orleans on the eve of Troy's appearance in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Troy will hold a graduation ceremony during a pep rally at Manning's in New Orleans beginning at 7 p.m. Friday.

Nine of Troy's athletic programs were represented during the fall commencement ceremony with 11 current and former football student-athletes leading the way. Baseball and men's golf were represented by three student-athletes, while women's basketball, soccer, men's tennis, women's track & field, men's track & field and volleyball also had student-athletes graduate.

Ware, a 2005 Troy graduate who was the University's first-ever, first-round draft pick when taken 11th overall by the Dallas Cowboys, announced his retirement following the Super Bowl-winning season and earlier this year.

During a historic stint at Troy University, he set a school record for tackles for loss (57) and finished second all-time in sacks at TROY with 27.5. During his time with the Cowboys, Ware became the team's all-time leader in sacks and forced fumbles during his nine seasons in Dallas.

His achievements aren't limited to those on the field. He has two children, daughter Marley and son DeMarcus Jr. On two occasions, he's won the Butkus Award, given to athletes who are committed to playing steroid-free. Ware has also dedicated himself to numerous charitable organizations, particularly those benefiting children and feeding the hungry.

In 2016, Ware received TROY's 15th Distinguished Leadership Award and was honored by his home-state as April 19, 2016, was declared "DeMarcus Ware Day" in Alabama. He also was presented with a legislative proclamation in a special joint session of the Alabama Legislature.

A full list of student-athlete graduates can be found below. For more on Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com and follow @TroyAthletics on Twitter.

Baseball
Trevor Davis – Social Science
Justin Friend – Risk Management Insurance
Houston Mabray - Risk Management Insurance

Women's Basketball
Kristen Emerson – K-6 Elementary Education
Ta'kierra Gibbs – Social Science

Football
Josh Anderson – Psychology
Johnathan Boring – Master's International Management
Demetrius Cain – Social Science
Jordan Chunn – Criminal Justice
Xavier Fields – Business
Sam Lebbie – Criminal Justice
Tevaris McCormick – Criminal Justice
Kamryn Melton – Social Science
KE'Marvin Pitts – Psychology
Taylor Polk – K-6 Collaborative Education
Dominic Walker – Social Science

Men's Golf
Jared Bettcher – Pre-Health Professional
Luke Moser – Criminal Justice
Clayton Vannoy – Business

Soccer
Mikki Lewis – Psychology
Annabell Simpson – Wellness and Fitness

Men's Tennis
Pablo Moreno Dapena – Business

Women's Track & Field
Sydney Wright – Human Service

Men's Track & Field
Sean Kent - Broadcast Journalism

Volleyball
Cassie Hendricks – Biomedical Sciences
Symone Shaw - Hospitality, Sport and Tourism Management