Super Bowl XLV champion Brett Goode says he’ll finish his degree even though he’s already got a Super Bowl ring and a million-dollar contract!

For Arkansas native Brett Goode, winning Super Bowl XLV in 2011 with his Green Bay Packers teammates isn’t enough. Even though he’s got a shiny new ring, he won’t be satisfied until he’s got his college diploma too. A graduate from Northside High School in Fort Smith, Brett went on to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where he enrolled as a kinesiology major and played deep snapper for the Razorbacks. “I grew up watching the Hogs,” he said. “When I got the opportunity [to play], I took it.”

When he later got the opportunity to become a professional football player in the NFL, he was just 13 credit hours shy of his degree. Although he is passionate about his successful football career (Brett had no bad snaps as the team’s long snapper during the 2010-11 regular season and Super Bowl XLV), his plan is to one day become a high school coach and teacher. Thus, he’s determined to finish his degree while still starting for the Packers.

Here’s more about his degree dream in his own words:

• Why is finishing your degree so important to you? Whether or not I have the opportunity to continue my football career, I want to get my degree. I won the Super Bowl and had the chance to meet people from all over the United States, but for me to have a decent job to support my family as I get older, I need that piece of paper. I’ve already been in contact with the University of Arkansas on trying to do some online classes to finish my degree and still play football.
• What’s the value in a college education? This game doesn’t last forever. Teams are always looking for younger and cheaper players. I’m going to need a degree to get a good paying job in something I enjoy.
• Do you have any advice for students? College is a lot like athletics. You can’t quit on anything. You have to show up, participate and finish.
• What’s it like winning the Super Bowl? It was one of the most surreal moments ever.