Shane Olivea couldn’t stop looking at his diploma on Sunday.
He never thought he’d see the day. In fact, when the native of Long Island, New York, enrolled at Ohio State 17 years ago, graduating wasn’t a priority. School was something to endure to stay eligible for football.
Olivea started at right tackle on the Buckeyes’ 2002 national championship team. He left OSU after his senior season in 2003 without having earned a degree. But his goals in those days were clear: Play a decade or so in the NFL, get rich, and then go on about his life.