May 29, 2026
From Gridiron to Ivy: Collin Johnson Retires To Join Elite Wave of NFL Academics
At MIT Sloan, Johnson will pursue an MBA, joining a distinct group of NFL players who transitioned from professional sports to elite academic institutions
While announcing he’d be enrolling at the highly prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Northeast this fall, NFL wide receiver Collin Johnson also announced his retirement from the league, trading complex defensive playbooks for intensive academic textbooks.
At MIT Sloan, Johnson will pursue an MBA, joining a distinct group of NFL players who transitioned from professional sports to elite academic institutions, further defining a trend among top athletes. According to a 2022 report by the NFL Players Association, more than 30 former and current NFL athletes have enrolled in graduate programs at top-tier universities over the past decade, including business schools at Stanford, Harvard, and MIT. While still a relatively uncommon path, the number of NFL players seeking advanced degrees at elite institutions has steadily increased as the league expands its initiatives supporting post-career education.
“Football has shaped my life in more ways than I can put into words,” Johnson shared via Instagram. “It taught me faith, discipline, resilience, leadership, and how to compete at the highest level. I’m thankful for every teammate, coach, organization, and person who helped me along the way.”
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound wide receiver from the University of Texas was a fifth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft. He recorded career highs in his rookie season, catching 18 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson later spent two seasons with the New York Giants and had stints with the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders.
At MIT, Johnson plans to expand ‘Beyond Sports’, an educational and venture-building platform he runs for current and former athletes. ‘Beyond Sports‘ aims to empower athletes to succeed beyond their playing days by providing mentorship, entrepreneurial training, and resources for building ventures. The organization has already supported dozens of athletes in launching businesses, pursuing advanced education, and preparing for life after sports, signaling its growing impact on athlete transition and personal development.
“For a long time, athletes have been seen as endorsers of other people’s companies,” Johnson said. “I believe we can be the founders, operators, investors, and owners behind them, too.”
Johnson’s path echoes that of NFL veterans who channeled athletic discipline into top graduate programs, helping reshape ideas of athlete careers beyond sports. Such high-profile transitions not only expand opportunities for athletes themselves but also challenge public perceptions, encouraging society and younger players to view professional sports as a launching pad for diverse pursuits in academia and leadership.
As more stories like Johnson’s emerge, expectations of what athletes can achieve after their playing days continue to evolve, potentially inspiring new models of lifelong learning and multidimensional career planning.
Take a look at a few examples of NFL athletes who have walked away from the gridiron to pursue degrees in higher education.
Doctorates and Medical Degrees
John Urschel: The former Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman stunned the sports world by retiring in 2017 at 26 to focus entirely on mathematics. Urschel enrolled at MIT, where he completed his Ph.D. He has since published multiple research papers and currently works as an assistant professor in the MIT Department of Mathematics.
Dr. Myron Rolle: Drafted by the Tennessee Titans as a safety, the former Florida State standout was a Rhodes Scholar who constantly prioritized medicine. Rolle retired from the NFL after three seasons to attend the College of Medicine at Florida State University.
Julius Thomas, a former Pro Bowl tight end for the Denver Broncos, decided to retire from football at 30 to pursue a doctorate in psychology, according to a letter he wrote for The Players’ Tribune as reported by Sports Illustrated. Thomas earned a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) and completed a residency focused on community mental health. He continues to study cognitive science and performance coaching through his athletic development initiatives.
Business, Arts, and Creative Fields
Andrew Hawkins: Following a six-year career as a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, Hawkins shifted his focus to sports business. He earned a master’s degree in sports management from Columbia University, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while actively playing in the NFL.
Chris Conley: After a 10-season career as a veteran wide receiver with teams including the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, Conley retired to chase a long-held passion for filmmaking. Conley returned to the University of Georgia to study film, hoping to build a secondary career behind the camera as a director and storyteller.
For Johnson and others, retiring from the NFL signals not an end, rather a transition—a new phase in which the focus and drive required in football fuel their pursuit of academic and career excellence.
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