University of Georgia Athletics
Tyson Still Writing His Story
November 23, 2018 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Back when DeAngelo Tyson and Bacarri Rambo were Georgia football freshmen together, in 2008, they had the occasional class together. Nothing unusual about that. What is unique is that this fall, a decade later, the two former Bulldogs are in the classroom together again.
"I feel like I'm the oldest [person] in most of my classes," the 29-year-old Tyson said recently, and he does actually have a year on Rambo, who's still 28. But the former Bulldog, Baltimore Raven and Seattle Seahawk isn't here to fit in with the youngsters that are contemporaries of the current Georgia players. He's here on a mission.
Tyson started 23 of 50 games for Georgia from 2008-11 and in 2012 was drafted in the seventh round by the Baltimore Ravens. As a rookie defensive end, he helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVIII, making four tackles in the Ravens' 34-31 win over San Francisco.
In January, with the cleats hung up for good and a clear goal in mind, Tyson returned to Georgia to get his degree in Housing Management & Policy. In December, Tyson, married with four children, will earn that degree.
"It's taken a lot of work and a lot of studying and a lot of reading books," he said.
As a child Tyson was abandoned by his birth parents and spent most of his youth at Joseph's Home for Boys in Statesboro. It wasn't an easy childhood, but with help from a lot of people who cared about him, he grew and developed into a talented, well-rounded young man, the first to ever go from Joseph's to college.
Now, having seen the impact that great mentors and friends had on his life, Tyson wants to return the favor by getting into coaching at the high school level, and he knows that "no one's going to hire a head coach without a degree." But the Xs and Os of football aren't what this all about.
"With my background leading up to this point, I want to help the community, I want to help the athletes, I want to help the people that need help," said Tyson, who has done some coaching in the Atlanta area as a paraprofessional.
Rambo said his former teammate would be a natural.
"Because he's been through so much growing up, he could really lead kids and help develop kids into better people and help them make better decisions," he said.
For anyone that takes a number of years off from college before returning to finish, getting back into the groove of being a student can be a bit challenging or even daunting. There's the age difference with your classmates, there are the dormant study habits that have to reawaken, and there are responsibilities outside of school that have to be juggled, as well.
Tyson said when he starting taking classes again last January, there was no struggle: "I knew what I needed to do and I knew that it was going to take a lot of work, but I just kept my eyes forward and focused and stayed positive throughout the process."
Well, there was an economics class that first semester back, though, that he said was a formidable hurdle to clear. "I did everything I could to pass that class because I knew that was the hardest class I was going to have to take."
Rambo, his fellow Class of 2008 signee. who redshirted as a true freshman, graduated from Georgia prior to playing five seasons in the NFL, and is back, working on coach Kirby Smart's staff as a graduate assistant while pursuing a master's degree in Community Development.
Tyson said it was a little weird to be back in a classroom again, though at least there is the familiar and friendly face of Rambo. As for Rambo, the former All-American safety, it's not weird at all: "Nah, man, because we all got the same goals."
Rambo said his father returned to college in his 40s to get his degree, so he's seen first-hand that it's never too late to go back. Also, there's this, at least for Rambo: "I treat my body so well and do the right things for my body that I actually feel better than the kids I'm in class with. They may be trying to call me old but I'm like, dude, I haven't even hit my prime yet."
This year's Bulldogs, 10-1 and ranked No. 5, take on Georgia Tech (7-4) at noon Saturday at Sanford Stadium. It was against Tech in 2010 that Tyson had the game of his Bulldog career. While star outside linebacker Justin Houston shined with a fumble return for a touchdown and a win-sealing interception in Georgia's 42-34 win, Tyson was one of three players with a team-high 16 tackles. Listed at 6-foot-2, 306 pounds that season, Tyson, then a nose tackle, said he was on the field for all 92 of the Yellow Jackets' offensive snaps.
"That was one of the longest games I ever played in," he said. "That was probably one of the toughest physical games that I've been a part of because I never had to play 92 snaps before. It's always good to beat Tech and doing it that way is really good."
You know what also feels really good? Coming back and getting your degree. It may not be the physical challenge that besting Tech is, but it still requires loads of work and dedication.
"It's been a long time and I've been waiting for this moment," he said of graduating. "With my background, I didn't think I was going to graduate from high school, go to college, get a scholarship and be able to graduate from a great university.
"It's just a blessing to still be able to write my story. I'm excited, my family's excited and once I graduate it will be the start of a legacy for my kids. ... I'm ready for it."
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
