Three Degrees Later, This UCLA Footballer Isn't Done Yet

Hudson Habermehl is entering his sixth season with the squad, but didn't waste his time in the classroom.

Dec 16, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins tight end Hudson Habermehl (81) reacts after catching a touchdown pass in the first quarter against the Boise State Broncos during the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Few college athletes have the proactiveness that sixth-year UCLA senior Hudson Habermehl had when he gained two extra years of eligibility due to COVID-19 and a brutal knee injury that kept him out all of last season.

Fresh off finishing his second Master's degree (yes, you read that right), Habermehl is still searching for more ahead of his final season on the field.

"I got my Master's in legal studies through the law school," Habermehl said during Saturday's media availability in Costa Mesa. "So, right when I got hurt, I was like, 'OK, I got to start thinking. I'm going to be around for another year and a half, I don't want to sit around and take classes I'm not really interested in. So, why not start another degree?'"

Nov 12, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins tight end Hudson Habermehl (81) completes a 51 yard pass play and runs into the end zone for a touchdown in the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Habermehl then went through the same process every UCLA student went through -- an application, followed by an interview, and then anticipation. He got in. Right at the deadline, too.

Unable to see the field for 8-10 months as he recovered from a torn ACL and meniscus, Bruins coach DeShaun Foster made sure the tight end emphasized the "student" in "student-athlete."

"Me being hurt gave me more time to focus on school," Habermehl said. "So, Coach Fos told me, 'Listen, you're a student-athlete, academics come first.' He made sure academics come first. He said, 'If you got to miss a meeting, go take care of school. Finish that.' So I graduated in May, and now I'm starting an extension program in project management, and I'll do that for this fall quarter. And then I can finally say I'm done with school."

As a bright-eyed freshman, no one can predict how long their college football career will be. Being at a prestigious academic school like UCLA, Habermehl took advantage of all his time in Westwood... but he still wishes he had some foresight when he stepped on campus in 2019:

"Hey, if you would've told me I was going to be here this long, I would have just started the doctorate right away. You could call me Dr. Habermehl."

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