Bucs’ Todd Bowles Goes Back to School, Completes College Degree

He initially left school in 1985 without a diploma to pursue an NFL playing career.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles is a man of his word.

That’s why he went back to school and took the classes necessary to complete his bachelor’s degree—37 years after leaving college to pursue an NFL playing career.

“Completing my degree was something I had always wanted to do over the years because it was something I had promised my mother when I went to play in the NFL, and I wanted to follow through on that promise,” Bowles said, per Brianna Dix of Buccaneers.com. “Over the years, as I became a father, it became something I wanted to do in order to set a proper example for my sons as they continue on their educational paths.”

Bowles completed the requirements to receive a B.S. in youth and community development from Mount St. Mary’s University. He rebooted his academic career in 2020 and finished his coursework last week. Amid his studies, he served as the Bucs’ defensive coordinator as they won Super Bowl LV and the NFC South title the past two seasons. He took over for Tampa Bay’s previous head coach, Bruce Arians, when Arians retired in March.

Bowles played four seasons at Temple University from 1982 to ’85 before embarking on an eight-year NFL playing career with Washington and San Francisco. He was encouraged to pursue his degree by his longtime agent, Anthony Agnone, himself a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s.

The adult education program at Mount St. Mary’s proved to be a good fit for Bowles, and Bowles proved to be a man of his word.

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