NORFOLK, Va. – The "student" part of the term student-athlete is sometimes overlooked. Athletes are often remembered more for what they do inside the lines, as opposed to what they accomplish in the classroom. However, this is not the legacy former Norfolk State linebacker Deon King wants to leave.

King was one of more than 40 former Spartan student-athletes who walked across the Norfolk Scope stage during the NSU commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 6, 2017. King recently completed his Bachelor of Science degree in building construction technology following a year spent chasing – and fulfilling – his dream of playing in the NFL.

"Saturday was the most important day of my life," King said. "I am so proud to be an alumnus of Norfolk State."

King grew up dreaming of playing in the National Football League (NFL), recalling his parents giving him a football at a young age. He took the long route in achieving his goal of playing in the NFL and it did not come without several setbacks. However, the grit and determination that drove him to achieve athletic success may have been what helped him achieve his dream of graduating from college. 

"I had a lot of critics in high school who said I would not make it in college," King said. "They said I was too slow on the field, or did not have the grades to play at the next level."

As a senior at South Lakes High School in Reston, Va., King did not draw a lot of attention from college recruiters and chose to attend Fork Union Military Academy for one year. He improved his grades in the classroom and joined the Norfolk State football team in the summer of 2012.

"No one really gave me a chance of playing Division I football," King said. "Norfolk State was the only school to offer me a scholarship. That is why I wanted to graduate and become a Spartan for life. I did not want to just be remembered as someone who played here, but someone who graduated as well."

King embodied the student-athlete mentality by working hard in and out of the classroom. On the gridiron, he played in 46 games during his four-year career and registered 372 tackles, including 185 of those unassisted. He sacked the quarterback 18 times in his career. A three-time All-MEAC selection, King became NSU's first-ever consensus first-team Division I FCS All-American and winner of the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS.

After his senior season in 2015, King realized that his life-long dream of playing in the National Football was a realistic possibility. He took the spring semester of his senior year off from school to focus on the upcoming draft. 

However, as each round of the draft went by and his name was not called, the possibility of going undrafted began to sink in. Shortly after the draft concluded, King received a phone call from the Dallas Cowboys, who had flown him to Dallas for a visit just a month earlier. He signed with the Cowboys, but was released on Sept. 6 despite leading the team in tackles during the preseason. He was one of the final roster cuts before the team finalized their 53-man roster for the 2016 season. 

"That was a tough month being at home," King said. "Dad kept me focused and made sure I continued to work out."

On Oct. 4, he was signed to the San Diego Chargers practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on Nov. 5 and played in his first two NFL games before being released nine days later. The very next day, the Indianapolis Colts claimed him off waivers, where he would finish out the season by playing in four games for the Colts.

Through the ups and downs for King in his first season, he always had a former teammate to lean on in the form of Lynden Trail. A year earlier, Trail also went undrafted and signed as a free agent. After a couple of stints on the Washington Redskins practice squad, Trail saw his first career NFL regular-season action in 2016, just as King did.

"Lynden is like a big brother to me," King said. "If I am going through something, he is just a phone call away and I'm the same for him. When we need someone to talk to, we know we have each other."

While he is living out a childhood dream, King knows that one day he will have to hang up the uniform and cleats for good. The thought of not going back to school and finishing his degree never crossed his mind. Despite having just three classes remaining to complete his degree, it was not going to be easy with internships, volunteer work and off-season workouts, including organized team activities (OTAs) with the Colts in April. However, he knew what he wanted to accomplish and who to turn to.

"(Assistant NSU track coach) Malcolm Watts, whom I have worked with the last three years as my personal trainer, came up with a workout schedule and we stick to it," King said. "My teachers have done everything to help work around any conflicts which may have prevented me from finishing my work. The school is like one big family and we take care of each other. That is why I consider this my home."

Despite being from Northern Virginia, King wants to return to the Norfolk area when his playing days are over and use his degree to help the less fortunate. He plans on building houses for those who do not have shelter or are living in houses that are substandard. He hopes to begin on the construction side, before moving into more of a supervisory role. The degree he received will allow him to perform any task necessary in the building of the homes and as a project manager.

"Dad brought my sisters and I to the beach every summer for vacation and Norfolk State was the only Division I school to offer me a scholarship," King said. "This is my home and I saw a lot of areas that need a lot of work during my visits and time at school. I volunteer at a local recreation center and I see kids who do not have sufficient housing. Every child deserves a good home, one that they can feel safe and secure in."

His parents, James Kerkulah and Pebbles King, his godfather, Richard Davidson, and his sisters were in attendance at the commencement ceremony at Norfolk Scope. One person he truly missed at graduation was his godmother, Judy Davidson, who passed away in the fall of 2016. 

"My entire family is so proud," King said. "I am the first to graduate from college, but I want to set the example for my sisters. My godmother told me to live out my dream, but when I had time I had to go back and finish my degree and that is what I did."

King was released from the Colts just days before graduation, but he is confident about his future. He hopes to know something soon, but no matter what happens or where he goes next, he will do it as a Spartan alumnus.

"No one can tell me anything now," King said. "I made it to the NFL and I am a graduate of Norfolk State, so no one can tell me I can't do something."