Yes. Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, earned a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. He received a master’s in human relations and walked at OU’s commencement ceremony in May 2023. Sources: https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-05-14/eagles-quarterback-and-super-bowl-veteran-jalen-hurts-just-earned-a-masters-degree and https://www.espn.ph/nfl/story/_/id/37641412/eagles-qb-jalen-hurts-earns-master-degree-oklahoma
Hurts started college at the University of Alabama, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in three years. He transferred to Oklahoma in 2019 as a graduate student and played one season for the Sooners, winning the Big 12 Championship and reaching the College Football Playoff. He left for the NFL in the 2020 draft with his graduate work unfinished.
He finished the degree while playing professionally. After the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in February 2023, Hurts completed his remaining courses online through OU and graduated that spring. Oklahoma confirmed that he completed the required coursework and earned the degree as a graduate student.
Education runs in his family. His mother, Pamela, went back to school and earned her own master’s degree to become a counselor, an example Hurts has said inspired him. He has spoken about finishing what he starts, and the master’s was a goal he set when he arrived in Norman.
Hurts’s path shows that a degree can be completed in stages. He balanced coursework with the demands of a starting quarterback job at two major programs and then in the NFL. For students juggling work and study, flexible programs help; see intramural sports leagues for non-athletes and whether online master’s degrees are credible. If you are weighing graduate school yourself, read whether a master’s degree is worth it and salary negotiation tips for master’s holders.

