A Degree Worth the Journey

There are many reasons for former students to return to Aggieland.

Some come back for a game at Kyle Field. Others return for reunions, to see old teammates or simply relive memories from their college days.

For former football student-athletes Aaron Wallace and Tyrel Dodson, returning to Texas A&M meant something more. It was never simply the place where they played football. It was where they started something they both knew they wanted to finish.

Decades apart and following two very different paths, the former Aggies each found their way back to College Station to complete their education.

This past summer, Wallace earned his master’s degree in sport management after completing his undergraduate degree more than two decades ago. Dodson completed his bachelor’s degree in agricultural leadership and development while balancing the demands of an NFL career.

The road back wasn’t always easy, but neither was willing to leave Aggieland without finishing what they started.

“I’ve never felt that I’m too old to learn something,” Wallace said.

Wallace’s first return to Texas A&M came after he was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft. After an eight-year professional career, he returned to College Station to complete his bachelor’s degree in agriculture and life sciences in 2002.

His return to the classroom came as he was beginning a coaching career at the high school level, something that eventually led him to his current position as an assistant athletics director for Dallas ISD.

Years later, Wallace found himself looking for another opportunity to grow professionally. He continually ran into Texas A&M Hall of Honor inductee Dr. John Thornton at annual coaching school trips.

“He told me about this program in the sport management school that he had started,” Wallace said. “Time kept passing by, but by the time I started working in athletics at Dallas ISD, I said I would try a class, and maybe it can help me out.”

Wallace spent roughly two years working toward his master’s degree in Texas A&M’s sport management program, gaining knowledge he could immediately apply to his role with Dallas ISD.

“The business side of athletics is a lot different from what you worry about on the sidelines,” Wallace said. “It was enlightening for me to go back and learn some of that stuff from Texas A&M and combine it with stuff I already knew from being involved in athletics all my life. I figured this would make me a better employee.”

For Wallace, the experience also reinforced what he had learned the first time he returned to Texas A&M: Aggies will always welcome him back home.

“When I came back in 2002 to finish my undergraduate degree, I talked to Coach [R.C.] Slocum, who made a few calls for me. The next thing I knew, I was back enrolled,” Wallace explained.

His experience with the Aggie Network was much the same when he decided to pursue his master’s degree.

“When I talked to Dr. Thornton about getting my master’s degree, it was very similar. Within days I was enrolled into the program,” Wallace said. “I think it’s great the university gives young men the opportunity to go back to school to excel and better themselves for their career.”

Wallace’s journey back to Aggieland is especially meaningful because of where his Texas A&M story began. Coming from an urban setting in Dallas, he remembers being surprised by the culture of College Station when he first arrived.

“I came from a pretty urban setting to a school with wranglers and cowboy hats, so it took a little bit of getting used to,” Wallace said.

But it didn’t take long for him to understand what made Texas A&M special.

“After I started meeting the fans and realizing how crazy they were about football, it made it a lot more normal for me,” he said.

Wallace went on to become one of the most accomplished pass rushers in program history, still holding the Aggies’ all-time sack record with 42. More than 30 years later, he continues to return to Aggieland regularly.

“I’ve been back often,” Wallace said. “My daughter just finished her degree a couple of years ago. I usually go back every year for at least two or three games.”

Now, he returns as a two-time graduate, using what he’s learned to help grow the Aggie Network in his own way.

“Every time we have a reunion or I’m back at Texas A&M, a lot of the [current players] approach me because they want to get into coaching and they know I’ve been doing it for over 20 years,” Wallace said. “They know my position with Dallas ISD, so I just tell them what they have to do and how to get the certifications they need. If I can help them out, I will definitely help them out.”

Tyrel Dodson’s path back to his degree was different, but the motivation was much the same.

A relatively overlooked recruit from Franklin, Tennessee, Dodson’s opportunity to attend Texas A&M came when his high school defensive coordinator reached out to then-Aggie defensive coordinator John Chavis.

Chavis came to watch Dodson play and eventually offered him one of his first college scholarships.

That opportunity changed everything.

“I’m a man of loyalty, so Coach Chavis doing that for me changed the trajectory of my life because it allowed me to become the first person in my family to go to college,” Dodson explained.

When Dodson visited College Station, he knew immediately.

“I knew one hundred percent this is where I wanted to go,” he said. “The facilities are all top-notch and the people are just the best. Everything about Texas A&M was so great. I was just happy to be a part of that program.”

Following his junior season in 2018, Dodson left Texas A&M to begin his professional career, but he never forgot about the degree he had left unfinished.

“I always wanted to finish my degree,” Dodson said. “I had a promise with one of my family friends that I would finish my degree no matter what. It was hard navigating it at times, but [my agent] and I came up with a plan that made it easier to knock out.”

For roughly six years, Dodson took classes while navigating the rigorous demands of professional football.

“I took some classes during the season and during fall and summer camps. It was kind of hard for me, but I had to graduate and I’m glad I finally got it done.”

When he entered this year with only a few classes remaining, Dodson decided it was time to finish.

“I was taking about two classes a semester. Going into this year, I asked [my agent] how many classes I had left, and she said around four or five classes,” Dodson explained. “I told her, ‘Let’s do those four or five classes and get it over with!’”

There was also some additional motivation waiting at home.

His fiancée, Sam, already had her college degree and wasn’t shy about reminding Dodson that he needed to get his, too.

“She said, ‘I can’t be the only one in the family with a college degree,’” Dodson said. “She was talking some smack, saying her degree is hanging up at the house, so I have to get mine hung up there, too.”

Now, his degree can join hers.

For Dodson, though, the importance of earning a Texas A&M degree goes well beyond having something to hang on the wall.

He and former Aggie teammate De’Von Achane still reminisce about how special it is to be former students of Texas A&M.

“Me and De’Von Achane talk about it all the time; just how blessed we are to have attended Texas A&M and now I have a degree from there,” Dodson said. “The university truly cares about all of their students and graduates.”

That appreciation has only grown as Dodson has gotten older and spent more time away from College Station.

Eight years into his NFL career, he’s also beginning to think about what comes next. Dodson believes coaching could be part of that future, making the leadership skills he developed at Texas A&M even more valuable.

“I think I’m going to get into coaching,” Dodson explained. “I love leading people and I love being a help. All of my coaches in Miami said I would be a heck of a coach.”

His time at Texas A&M also gave him a deeper perspective on the importance of education.

“I think it’s amazing to get a degree from Texas A&M,” Dodson said. “I wouldn’t want to ever miss out on that opportunity.”

For Wallace, who returned to Texas A&M twice over the course of more than three decades, and Dodson, who spent six years chipping away at his degree while playing professionally, finishing was never simply about checking a box.

It was about keeping a promise, continuing to grow and preparing for what comes after football.

After earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M following his playing career, Wallace urges the next generation of student-athletes to follow in his footsteps.

“I would like to see more guys getting involved and going back to school and finishing their degrees if they haven't already,” Wallace said. “Don’t be afraid to take a chance. Even if you’re older, if you feel that it’s something that can help you and there’s something that you want to do, get your degree.”

For Dodson, the value of finally having that degree was difficult to put a price on.

“Even if I were the first pick of the NFL Draft, no amount of money can compare to receiving a Texas A&M degree,” Dodson said. “It’s priceless.”