57 Horned Frog student-athletes graduate
Football teams leads the way with 17 grads, including three NFL draft choices.
by Rick Waters '95
Updated: Thursday, May 20, 2010
Jerry Hughes, a first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, had a 4.0 grade-point average in the spring semester.
A group of 57 current and former Horned Frog student-athletes received TCU diplomas during Spring Commencement exercises at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
The TCU football team led the way with 17 graduates, including three NFL Draft selections in Jerry Hughes, Daryl Washington and Marshall Newhouse.
Awarded TCU diplomas were wide receiver Ryan Christian, wide receiver Curtis Clay, defensive tackle Cory Grant, long snapper Clint Gresham, defensive end Jerry Hughes, safety Alex Ibiloye, quarterback Marcus Jackson, offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse, nose tackle Henry Niutei, placekicker Kevin Sharples, tailback Chris Smith, tailback Joseph Turner, linebacker Daryl Washington and wide receiver Jimmy Young.
Hughes, a first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, had a 4.0 grade-point average in the spring semester. Washington, a second-round selection of the Arizona Cardinals, recorded a 3.25 GPA in the spring. Newhouse was drafted in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers.
Smith, who received a bachelor's degree last spring, was awarded a master's in educational administration.
Clay, Grant, Ibiloye, Sharples and Young have another year of eligibility remaining and will play the 2010 season as graduate students.
Offensive tackle Nic Richmond and cornerbacks Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders previously earned their TCU degree.
All 13 seniors who were in uniform during the 2009 campaign have either graduated or will finish their coursework this summer.
Also graduating were past Horned Frog players Emmanuel Asaolu, Allen Christopher, John Fonua and Josh Karlin.
In each of the last two years, TCU has been recognized by the American Football Coaches Association for its high graduation rate among student-athletes.
Three other programs featured five honorees each, including the NCAA Champion rifle squad, which saw a pair of All-Americans graduate in Erin Lorenzen and Simone Riford.
The spring 2010 group was marked by a number of individuals who either have already concluded or are still compiling accomplished careers as TCU student-athletes. Ben Biefnes (swimming and diving) and Carrie van Uhlit (equestrian), TCU’s 2009-10 Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year, were among the group, as were All-Americans Valentine Derrey (women’s golf), Nina Munch-Soegaard (women’s tennis) and Jessica Young (women’s track & field). Zvonko Buljan and TK LaFleur, the 2009 Mountain West Conference men’s and women’s basketball Newcomers of the Year, also received diplomas.