HURRICANE TRACKER: Moss Returns To The U
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Former University of Miami wide receiver Santana Moss has always done things quickly.
Whether it was weaving his way through tacklers en route to one of his 19 career receiving touchdowns or sprinting to victory in the 100-meter dash as a track and field athlete, the two-sport phenom wasted little time doing anything during his time in the Orange and Green.
So when the Miami, Fla. native, returned to Coral Gables this spring to begin work on his Master’s of Business Administration degree, it only made sense that he do it quickly.
“I just wanted to have a little bit more behind me,” Moss said of his return to Miami. “Just having that undergraduate degree is not enough.”
The program Moss is enrolled in is part of the University’s Executive MBA program designed for professional athletes.
As a student in the University’s accelerated MBA program, Moss will be in class for six weeks this year and six weeks next year.
Moss, who is set to begin his 15th season in the National Football League this upcoming fall, graduated from the University with a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts in 2000.
“It’s a big difference being back in school,” Moss said. “Coming back after 14 years and getting back to the overall grind, you learn to appreciate school a lot more now.”
The 14-year NFL veteran, who set the school’s all-time receiving yards record (2,546) while also earning All-Conference honors his senior season, has a plan after his NFL career comes to a close and earning an MBA from Miami is a big part of that plan.
“To receive my undergraduate degree and my MBA from the University of Miami just puts me in a different pool of guys when it comes to anything else I would want to do after football,” Moss said. “When it comes down to it, the more you know about your finances the easier it is to realize what you’re doing with your money.”
The program, which is being taught by the same faculty who teach in the School’s other programs, has the same curriculum as the School’s existing Global Executive MBA program.
“You just have to be dedicated to what you’re doing,” Moss said. “That’s the mindset I go into this class witch every day.”
The six-week class schedule is by no means easy, but for Moss the process has been easier with former teammates Colin McCarthy, Jason Fox, Clinton Portis and Javarris James enrolled in the same class with him.
“To see some of my former teammates in the same class made things a lot easier,” Moss said. “Once we saw each other in class, we were just excited to go through this process together with other Hurricanes, who know what the struggle was like out here on the practice field. Having those guys around in class just provides a little more motivation.
“Our brotherhood is stronger than anything,” Moss said. “It helps to have those guys in class with you to help put at ease what you are going through. Regardless on whether or not we’re playing football, when you see your former teammates, they’re always going to give you that courage to go out there and do something a little bit more.”
Upon completion of the MBA program, the NFL will repay Moss for the cost of his tuition.
“I’ve always appreciated what the NFL has tried to do with sending players back to school,” Moss said. “They’ve always been about education and it’s great to know that you have your employer behind you.”
