Western Wayne Today

Wayne State University and Ferris State are the only two schools in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) to have submitted a list of graduate students to the National Football Foundation (NFF). Wayne State has six graduate students on its football roster for this year. These students include Kaleb Coleman, Jordan Lewis, Griffin Milovanski, Jeremy Taras, Brayden Vredeveld, and Carl Ware. They are pursuing advanced degrees in various fields such as Exercise and Sport Science, Management, and Marketing.

The NFF recently released a list of 3,568 student-athletes who have completed their undergraduate studies and will be playing college football while pursuing further education. This initiative is part of the foundation's efforts to highlight educational opportunities provided by college football.

Archie Manning, Chairman of the NFF, emphasized the importance of showcasing these athletes: "By showcasing the nearly 3,600 student-athletes who have not only earned their undergraduate degrees but are now continuing their educations at the graduate level, we send a clear message about the transformative power of college football."

The list was compiled with assistance from sports information directors across all NCAA divisions and NAIA schools. In total, 247 institutions participated in this year's compilation.

Among notable players included on this list are Carson Beck from Georgia and Tahj Brooks from Texas Tech. The data shows that Northwestern leads all schools nationwide with 34 graduates on its roster.

In response to eligibility extensions due to COVID-19 granted by NCAA in 2020, many student-athletes have chosen to return for another season. This has contributed to a high number of graduates participating in college football this year.

Publishing lists like these is part of NFF's broader mission to promote academic excellence among athletes since 1959 through various awards and honors programs.