ONE NSU MAGAZINE It’s not often a star athlete decides to step away from a lucrative playing career to switch gears and pursue a master’s degree and a doctorate in psychology. But that’s precisely what Julius Thomas did when he retired from the National Football League (NFL) in the summer of 2018 at the age of 30. PSYCHOLOGY In Sync with STEPPING AWAY FROM A LUCRATIVE FOOTBALL CAREER AND INTO THE PSYCHOLOGY FIELD ISN’T SOMETHING MOST ELITE PLAYERS WHO’VE BEEN TO A SUPER BOWL WOULD CONSIDER DOING. HOWEVER, AS A GROWING DESIRE TO HELP OTHERS AND NURTURE HIS INTELLECTUAL SIDE MOVED TO THE FORE, JULIUS THOMAS, M.S., CHOSE TO RETIRE FROM FOOTBALL AND FOLLOW HIS HEART. Thomas, who grew up in Stockton, California, knew from an early age that a sports career would be his ticket to securing a good education and attending college, so he dedicated himself to becoming the best basketball player possible. “In 2006, I received a scholarship to play NCAA Division I basketball at Portland State University in Oregon,” he said. “I was one of the fortunate young men to go to college from where I grew up.” Once he entered college, however, a significant doubt surfaced. “I regretted not playing football in high school and had this lingering feeling that I could be an NFL player,” 26
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