Back in Berkeley Degree Complete Program Helps Former Student-Athletes Return to Campus to Earn their Degrees By Herb Benenson
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trolling through Berkeley nearly 12 seasons since he last suited up for the Golden Bears, Tully Banta-Cain recalls the familiar sights and sounds of the University of California campus and the surrounding area.
The view from the Lawrence Hall of Science high above the bay, the boats docked at the Berkeley Marina on the waterfront and even certain smells trigger memories from his days as a Golden Bear more than a decade ago when he prowled the gridiron as an All-Pac-10 defensive end on the football team. But Banta-Cain is back at Cal for more than just reminiscing. He is here to finish something he started when he first enrolled in the fall of 1998. Following an eight-year NFL career that netted two Super Bowl championship rings while with the New England Patriots, Banta-Cain wants to earn his college degree. “I felt like it was something I had to finish,” Banta-Cain said. “Leaving early for the NFL was an opportunity for me. I felt like it was something that was lingering on my to-do list. Why not get it done while I’m still young and in a mode of transitioning careers from the NFL to whatever I do next? I felt like it would be a perfect opportunity to get back in and finish.” Banta-Cain is not alone as a former student-athlete in the classroom. He, along with dozens of others, is taking advantage of Cal’s Degree Completion Program (DCP), a coordinated effort that includes support from the Athletic Study Center, Cal Athletics, the Office of the Registrar, college and major advisors, and, of course, the student-athletes themselves. The focus of the program is the conclusion of the degree process for former student-athletes who, for one reason or another, had their academic careers interrupted. “I fully believe from a moral and ethical standpoint that we need to commit ourselves institutionally back to them,” said Derek Van Rheenen, the director of the Athletic Study Center who oversees the Degree Completion Program. “Not in the short run, not just while they’re participating in sports,
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Derek Van Rheenen (standing) oversees the Degree C o m p l e t i o n P r o g r a m t h a t i s a s s i s t i n g s u c h f o r m e r stu d e n ta t h l e t e s a s ( f r o m l e f t ) J . J . A r r i n g t o n , T u l l y B a n ta - C a i n a n d Jahvid Best earn their Cal degrees.
but in the long run. If someone is not ultimately graduating while they’re here and eligible, that offer continues to remain throughout their lives. They decide when it’s the right time to come back.” Among those currently on track to finish after time away are more than half a dozen football players. Besides Banta-Cain, the list includes former running backs Jahvid Best and J.J. Arrington, as well as receiver Nyan “One of the most important things we do in our proBoateng and linebackers Ryan Davis and Devin gram is to welcome former players back and make Bishop. Beyond football, many others are taking adthem feel at home. It’s a credit to them for wanting to vantage of the opportunity to earn their degrees come back, and it’s a credit to our administration for years after leaving Berkeley. Former soccer star encouraging them to come back.” Megan Jesolva and former basketball Pac-10 Play– football coach Sonny Dykes er of the Year Sean Lampley, for example, are also close to completing their requirements.
cal sports quarterly