Former Tigers Return to Campus to Earn Degrees

It took a call from former Tigers basketball player and Harlem Globetrotter standout Michael Wilson for Sylvester "Deuce" Ford to realize it was a possibility – he could come back and graduate from his hometown school.

"Michael actually hit me up on Facebook and told me about it," said Ford. "He told me I needed to go ahead and finish. Next thing I know, they – Dwight Boyd and Bob Baker – end up calling me and asked if I wanted to do it, and I jumped right on it."

Local entrepreneur and wing expert Billy Richmond was the same way. Back in Memphis after spending time out west, Richmond started a wing restaurant in Memphis, and has been wildly successful winning national awards because of his extensive wing flavors on the menu. Because of the success – and the quality of staff – he was able to get back onto campus and complete his degree.

"This is always something that I wanted to do," said Richmond. "At this time, with me being back in Memphis, I had time to get it done versus being in Dallas and Las Vegas doing other ventures. It was a long time coming. I'm glad that I could actually get it completed, and push forward with everything that I had going on – my restaurant getting some national attention – I thought it was fitting to go ahead and get that done."

Wilson, along with numerous others – 347 in all including 20 former student-athletes – have gone back over the last four years and completed their degree from the University of Memphis behind the lift of a new program called the "Finish Line."

"The Finish Line program was started almost four years ago," said Finish Line project director Tracy Robinson. "The idea is to help students who almost got to graduation, have about 30 credit hours left to go, and help them get back to the University and finish their degrees."

More specifically, the University of Memphis Finish Line program assists students who have completed at least 90 credit hours, but have regrettably had to abandon their dreams of completing a college degree. Many students have demonstrated the ability to be successful in college, but had to withdraw from college with a year or less. For many reasons including exhausted financial aid, full-time work, or a family to support, forced them to pause their education.

In four years, 347 former students have come back through this program to complete their degrees and leave campus as graduates of the University of Memphis.

"Our program is what we call a wrap-around service for our students," said Robinson. "We help them return to the university, we help them navigate which degree plan is best for them, and our academic advisors stay with those students until the point of graduation. Often times when students leave the university, it is hard to come back – they don't know what step to take first, so our advisors help them navigate that path. I call them 'completion concierge' because we want to be the person they come back to for whatever issue they may have until they graduate and reach the finish line."

That program is the primary reason why Ford and Richmond have been able to come back and complete their degrees, and forevermore being able to call themselves graduates of the school.

"It was very impactful," said Richmond. "It is a great program. The coaching staff, Tracy and a lot of the people in the athletics department were hands-on. I can't say enough about those guys there."

"It helped out so much, because they worked hard by getting all of my transcripts and tried to find the best way for me to get a degree, and which area to get it in and in less time," said Ford. "They supported me and they helped me through the whole process. I have nothing but praise for that whole program. It does a lot for the former athletes that came through."

Ford and Richmond will be among other students on Sunday (August 6) to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas, and both will have numerous people there, cheering them along the way.

"It feels great," said Ford. "My wife graduated back in 1998 from Memphis, and it feels great. I'm a part of a family of the school I wanted to attend from day one. It feels wonderful. I have two daughters in college who are about to get their degrees, so I was very appreciative that I got a call asking me if I wanted to get involved in the program, and I took advantage of it."

University of Memphis Athletics

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