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Derek Jeter receives honorary Michigan degree, speaks at U-M commencement
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Derek Jeter did not graduate from Michigan, but he now holds a U-M degree.
The Captain received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Michigan on Saturday.
The Captain gets his honorary degree! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/G9wHofWmxz
— MVictors (@MVictors) May 3, 2025
Jeter, who turns 51 next month, prepped at Kalamazoo Central High School. He signed with Michigan, but he wisely chose to begin his professional baseball career after being drafted by the New York Yankees. The rest is history for the first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Though Jeter did not wear the maize and blue as an athlete, he did take classes at Michigan for a full semester in the fall of 1992. He is not a U-M graduate, but Jeter is officially a degree holder of his favorite university.
Jeter is a familiar face in Ann Arbor as a diehard supporter of the Wolverines. On Saturday, he was the school’s commencement speaker.
“You will always be a Michigan Wolverine. I challenge you to become champions of hope. Believe without a doubt that when given one sliver of a chance that your generation not just can, but will reimagine and reconstruct a better tomorrow for all of us.”
— University of Michigan (@UMich) May 3, 2025
@DerekJeter #MGoGrad pic.twitter.com/Oy5vv3M1Sc
“Wow yourself and the world with your dedication on following through on your passions. Passion and dedication always beat talent. This is the start. It is the start of a new and thrilling chapter in your lives.”
— University of Michigan (@UMich) May 3, 2025
– The Captain, @DerekJeter #MGoGrad pic.twitter.com/aZGgg7zcKg
A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.