Troy Nolan entered the 2008 football season with lofty goals.
The senior safety said his biggest achievement was accomplished before this season even kicked off.
Nolan graduated with a BIS degree in interdisciplinary studies in May.
“It meant a lot,” Nolan said. “I came to college not only to play football but to get a degree and leave with something.”
Though Nolan will likely be drafted in the 2009 NFL draft, he hasn’t stopped taking advantage of his educational opportunities at ASU.
Nolan said he is taking online classes and working towards his master’s degree in criminal justice.
Nolan said he would like to use the degree to become an FBI agent after his football-playing days are over.
After graduating from high school in Los Angeles, Nolan attended College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif. before coming to ASU in 2006.
“I was a [academic] qualifier coming out of high school, but the schools that were offering me [scholarships] I didn’t want to go to, so I went the [junior college] route.”
Nolan said that balancing studies with playing major college football has required consistent focus.
“Staying on top of the work has been the biggest thing,” Nolan said. “I’ve been playing football for a while so that comes naturally to me. Staying on top of the work, turning it in on time, being in class and doing the things off the field [are important].”
Nolan’s work in the classroom and in the community paid off this season when he was nominated for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS award, an accolade given to a player that demonstrates excellence on and off of the field.
Nolan said the nomination affirmed the hard work he has put in during his time at ASU.
“It obviously meant a lot because I have been doing a lot on and off the field and in the community with teammates, so it felt good [to be nominated],” he said.
Reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu.
