Chicago Bears offensive lineman James Daniels celebrated a huge milestone this past weekend, when he returned to Iowa to receive his college degree.
Daniels earned a B.A. in Health and Human Physiology with a 3.24 GPA.
The 21-year-old lineman made the decision to leave college early to start his NFL career in 2018. He was drafted in the second round by the Bears and went on to establish himself as a key piece of the offensive line in his rookie season.
On Saturday, Daniels walked across the stage to receive his diploma and then opened his graduation gown to reveal he was wearing his No. 68 Bears jersey underneath.
Despite leaving Iowa early, Daniels made it a point to return to college and graduate with his degree.
“Yeah, it does mean a lot to me,” Daniels told NBC 13 about graduating. “Not everybody gets to go to college and be able to finish a college degree. There’s a whole bunch of people who are in my position who won’t go back and finish their degree, so it just means a lot that I was able to come back and do it.”
Daniels, who started 10 games for Chicago last season, played an integral role on the offensive line at left guard. There’s been talk about Daniels and center Cody Whitehair switching positions this offseason, which quarterback Mitch Trubisky seemed to indicate is likely.
“Whatever decision that they make, I truly believe it’s best for this offense,” Trubisky told me earlier this month. “With James going to center and Cody going to guard, and however they want to flip-flop them, when they believe that it’s going to make our offense and offensive line better, everyone’s bought into that.”
With Daniels playing center in college and Whitehair having experience at guard in college and the pros, the switch would only serve to strengthen what’s already a solid offensive line.
