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New Orleans Saints cornerback-turned-safety Usama Young finished playing football for Kent State in 2006.

Young, who was a semester short of graduating when he was drafted in 2007, returned to Kent State this spring to complete his coursework, according to NewOrleansSaints.com.

“It was very important for me to finish what I started,” Young said. “My goal from the very beginning was to graduate and I figured it¹s better late than never. I grew up in a home where both parents were educators and I’ve always believed that without an education I wouldn¹t be where I am on the football field.”

He joins teammate Jammal Brown, who received his degree yesterday from Oklahoma.

Brown promised his mother Zola, who has since passed, that he would become the first member of his family to receive a college degree.

"Just going to college was being a role model in my family," said Brown, now the left tackle for the New Orleans Saints. "Getting a degree, that would be the ultimate."

In 2008, Brown, who was the Saints' first-round pick in 2005, earned his second Pro Bowl appearance in his four NFL seasons.