Jim McMahon set to graduate from BYU after 37 years

Thirty-seven years after enrolling at BYU, former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon is finally set to graduate from college.

Thirty-seven years after enrolling at BYU, former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon is finally set to graduate from college.

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Despite playing four seasons at BYU, McMahon had not accrued enough credits to graduate and was too busy leading the life of an NFL quarterback to finish his degree in the ensuing years. McMahon told the Deseret News he finally found the time and energy to complete his studies in 2014.

"I got real tired of studying. I think I studied more in the last eight months than I did in the five years of school that I went there. I'm glad it's over with. It's taken me 37 years, but I got it done."

McMahon added that, just like a real college student, the first people he called when he finished his last course were his parents.

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The "punky QB" is currently in the College Football Hall of Fame, but was not eligible for BYU's until he completed his full course load.

• ​GALLERY: ATHLETES AT GRADUATION

Athletes at Graduation

Kim Clijsters

Photonews via Getty Images

Kim Clijsters received an honorary degree from the Free University of Brussels this year, prompting the former tennis star to say, "It was important for me to be playing tennis and to be as good as possible. The fact that I'm here because of a sporting career is truly a great honor... It's my first degree ever." Here's a look at some other sports figures at graduations.

Andrew Luck

Paul Sakuma/AP

Don Nelson

AP

Don Nelson left the University of Iowa in 1962, just 10 credits short of his degree. Fifty years later, Nelson fulfilled his requirements.

Lew Alcindor

Curt Gunther/SI

Patrick Ewing

Bill Eppridge/SI

Shaquille O'Neal

AP

Brendon Haywood and Vince Carter

AP

Keyshawn Johnson

AP

Billie Jean King

Emmitt Smith

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Bo Jackson

AP

Ben Roethlisberger

AP

Tim Tebow

AP

Larry Bird

AP

Joe Namath

AP

Randall Cunningham

AP

David Stern and Muhammad Ali

Penny Hardaway

AP

Peyton Manning

PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY/SI

Venus Williams

Larry Marano/Getty Images

Bill Russell

AP

Doug Flutie

AP

Jack Nicklaus

Allsport UK /Allsport

Antawn Jamison and Jerry Stackhouse

AP

Joe Torre

AP

Scottie Pippen

AP

Wilma Rudolph

AP

Colt Brennan

AP

Luke Walton

AP

Willie Randolph

AP

Gaines Adams

AP

Tamba Hali

AP

Tamika Catchings

Ahman Green

AP

Cortez Kennedy

JC Ridley/WireImage.com

Ray Ray McElrathbey

AP

Tara Lipinski

Brian Dear/REUTERS

Lance Armstrong

Courtesy of Armstrong Family

Paula Creamer

AP

- Brendan Maloy