For mom: NFL head coach Todd Bowles gets college degree 37 years after leaving school

By David Close, CNN

Updated 2229 GMT (0629 HKT) September 6, 2022

Todd Bowles is pictured in August 2022, in Tampa, Florida.

(CNN)Almost four decades after he left Temple University to pursue his professional football dream, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles fulfilled a promise he made to his late mother by earning his bachelor's degree last week.

Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland announced Tuesday that Bowles earned a Bachelor of Science degree in youth and community development and plans to take part in the university's commencement in May.«Completing my degree (after a 37-year gap) 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.According to the university, Bowles restarted his degree pursuit in the summer of 2020 — just before the start of the Buccaneers' Super Bowl-winning season — taking online courses. It's a good time to be an NFL wide receiver — and it's only going to get betterThe NFL coach gave credit to his agent, Anthony Agnone, a 1975 Mount Saint Mary's alumnus, with the idea to complete his college pledge.Read MoreBowles said, «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. I have also worked pretty extensively with children through my various community projects, and I felt it was important to show them they can achieve whatever they set their mind to.»Bowles is in his first season as the Buccaneers' head coach after three seasons as the Bucs' defensive coordinator. Houston Texans to wear 'Uvalde Strong' decal on helmets during