BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
Tony Nathan had a promise to keep and that is why a 58-year-old man and former running back on the Miami Dolphins proudly received his college diploma last weekend at the University of Alabama.
With tears in his eyes and so much gratitude in his heart.
āI felt happy and I felt like crying at the same time,ā Nathan said of the graduation ceremony. āBut when I was handed my diploma, what I really felt was pride.ā
This is a story that began in early 1979 following Nathanās senior season at Alabama. Between the National Championship Game against Penn State and three different All-Star bowl games following that, Nathan lost track of his studies.
āI went back to school,ā Nathan said, āand the professors were asking me: āWell, who are you? You are so far behind, you canāt catch up.āā
So a young man with a bright football future, a young man who would go on to play nine productive seasons with the Dolphins, quietly walked away from his college education. Did so with plenty of regrets.
And thatās when the promises began. āI promised Coach (Bear) Bryant that I would someday get my diploma,ā Nathan recalls today.
And then he promised his mother. And years later he promised his wife Johnnie and their three daughters, all of whom received their college diplomas. Nathan never forgot those promises. Neither did his family.
āWhen they (my kids) all got their degrees, they started to look at me and asked: āWell, when are YOU going to finish?ā
So they made a deal. Nathan would get his degree, but it had to be a team effort. Team Nathan, that is. His wife and kids had to be there for him every step of the way. This was one run he just knew he couldnāt do alone.
āI knew that it would be quicker than if I had to do it myself,ā he said.
So the studies began. All done online. Not every night. Not every day. It was a slow process because by now Nathan was an assistant coach at FIU in Miami and his schedule was both demanding and challenging.
But, as he did for so many years with the ball tucked under his arms, Nathan kept moving forward, step-by-step, refusing to go down. āWhen you have 10 credits, 10 hours to finish, I asked: āGod, do I really want to continue to do this?ā But they (his family) pushed me through it and I got it doneā¦.WE got it done.ā
It helped that Nathan now had a āregularā job. You want irony? Nathan is Bailiff in Miami-Dade County Court for former Dolphins teammate, Judge Ed Newman. Thatās right, Newman used to block for Nathan and now Nathan, in many ways, blocks for Newman.
Normal working hours allowed Nathan the chance to complete his online studies in the evenings. And it all culminated last Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama as Nathan received his degree in Arts and Science.
āIām not s brain surgeon or biologist or anything,ā Nathan said. āBut I finished school.ā
He speaks now with so much emotion because, deep down, he knew this was a run he had to complete. After rushing for over 3,500 yards with the Dolphins, after scoring 32 touchdowns, after being part of one of the most famous plays in Dolphins history ā the hook-and-lateral in the 1981 playoffs against San Diego ā those few yards he walked to receive his diploma may have been the most important of his life.
āI looked at my family and saw they were as excited as I was,ā Nathan said. āBut it really hit me when I got on the platform and they called the personās name in front of me. I think I hit every emotion there was.ā
As he walked off the stage, his wife and kids were waving and shouting. Tony Nathan had heard plenty of cheers during his playing career, but these cheers were special. This was a moment he would never forget.
He had kept his promise to Bear Bryant. He had kept his promise to his mother, his wife and his three girls. It took a long time to get there, a long time to make that walk. But it is done now. Tony Nathan is a college graduate and he absolutely loves the sounds of those words.
āIām a happy camper right now,ā Nathan said.
And a very proud one as well.
Tony Nathan keeps promise to Coach Bryant
With tears in his eyes and so much gratitude in his heart.
āI felt happy and I felt like crying at the same time,ā Nathan said of the graduation ceremony. āBut when I was handed my diploma, what I really felt was pride.ā
This is a story that began in early 1979 following Nathanās senior season at Alabama. Between the National Championship Game against Penn State and three different All-Star bowl games following that, Nathan lost track of his studies.
āI went back to school,ā Nathan said, āand the professors were asking me: āWell, who are you? You are so far behind, you canāt catch up.āā
So a young man with a bright football future, a young man who would go on to play nine productive seasons with the Dolphins, quietly walked away from his college education. Did so with plenty of regrets.
And thatās when the promises began. āI promised Coach (Bear) Bryant that I would someday get my diploma,ā Nathan recalls today.
And then he promised his mother. And years later he promised his wife Johnnie and their three daughters, all of whom received their college diplomas. Nathan never forgot those promises. Neither did his family.
āWhen they (my kids) all got their degrees, they started to look at me and asked: āWell, when are YOU going to finish?ā
So they made a deal. Nathan would get his degree, but it had to be a team effort. Team Nathan, that is. His wife and kids had to be there for him every step of the way. This was one run he just knew he couldnāt do alone.
āI knew that it would be quicker than if I had to do it myself,ā he said.
So the studies began. All done online. Not every night. Not every day. It was a slow process because by now Nathan was an assistant coach at FIU in Miami and his schedule was both demanding and challenging.
But, as he did for so many years with the ball tucked under his arms, Nathan kept moving forward, step-by-step, refusing to go down. āWhen you have 10 credits, 10 hours to finish, I asked: āGod, do I really want to continue to do this?ā But they (his family) pushed me through it and I got it doneā¦.WE got it done.ā
It helped that Nathan now had a āregularā job. You want irony? Nathan is Bailiff in Miami-Dade County Court for former Dolphins teammate, Judge Ed Newman. Thatās right, Newman used to block for Nathan and now Nathan, in many ways, blocks for Newman.
Normal working hours allowed Nathan the chance to complete his online studies in the evenings. And it all culminated last Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama as Nathan received his degree in Arts and Science.
āIām not s brain surgeon or biologist or anything,ā Nathan said. āBut I finished school.ā
He speaks now with so much emotion because, deep down, he knew this was a run he had to complete. After rushing for over 3,500 yards with the Dolphins, after scoring 32 touchdowns, after being part of one of the most famous plays in Dolphins history ā the hook-and-lateral in the 1981 playoffs against San Diego ā those few yards he walked to receive his diploma may have been the most important of his life.
āI looked at my family and saw they were as excited as I was,ā Nathan said. āBut it really hit me when I got on the platform and they called the personās name in front of me. I think I hit every emotion there was.ā
As he walked off the stage, his wife and kids were waving and shouting. Tony Nathan had heard plenty of cheers during his playing career, but these cheers were special. This was a moment he would never forget.
He had kept his promise to Bear Bryant. He had kept his promise to his mother, his wife and his three girls. It took a long time to get there, a long time to make that walk. But it is done now. Tony Nathan is a college graduate and he absolutely loves the sounds of those words.
āIām a happy camper right now,ā Nathan said.
And a very proud one as well.
Tony Nathan keeps promise to Coach Bryant
