Commencement is the culmination of a promise made for Morris

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A promise made on Memorial Day in 2008 is what motivated Stephon Morris. That promise is what helped him gain clarity in the wake of chaos during the 2012 offseason. It is what pushes him to continue the pursuit of his NFL dreams and ultimately what drove him to complete his bachelor’s degree telecommunications.Upon committing to Penn State on that fateful day in 2008, Morris stood in Joe Paterno’s office and shook his hand after vowing to not only play for the Nittany Lions but uphold the tradition of leaving Happy Valley with his degree. He completed that promise in 2015 by finishing his coursework through the Penn State World Campus.“I remember standing in his (Paterno’s) office with Coach (Larry) Johnson and Eric Shrive,” said Morris. “It was my first time meeting coach Paterno and I committed that day. … I told him that I wouldn’t leave without my degree.”Morris quickly made an impact on the field for the Nittany Lions, earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors from Sporting News. He was the only Penn State rookie to garner the honor and he admitted that his instant success on the field might have gone to his head. He appeared in all 13 games, logged 30 stops, hauled in one interception and made his first career start in the regular season finale at Michigan State. His interception came at Illinois, a 70-yard return that closed the half and preserved a 7-3 Penn State edge heading into the locker room. He also piled up five stops in three of his last four games, including five solo stops in a 19-17 Capital One Bowl victory over Louisiana State University.“I had success as a true freshman and it is hard to tell an 18-year old kid that he needs to focus on his school work when he is having so much fun playing football,” said Morris. “You tell yourself that you’re not going to be the guy that lets success go to his head, but I did. I can remember Paterno talking to me about my grades. That success is not something that I handled the best.”Morris refocused after his freshman season and remembered the promise he had made, not only to his coach, but to himself and his family. He found success in his studies and on the field during the next two seasons, but during the summer of 2012 he faced another challenge when the program was handed sanctions by the NCAA.“The entire team was gathered in the players lounge after a workout, and I can remember the sanctions coming down. There were a lot of emotions; at some points you could hear a pin drop and at other points guys were yelling. I knew I had to keep my emotions in check because I needed to be a leader. … I couldn’t show weakness.”Morris told his father that he was staying at Penn State almost immediately and he believes that is the best decision he has made in his 24-years on this earth.“I called my dad and said, ‘I am staying. I told coach Paterno I would get my degree from this school and I am going to do it.’”For Morris it was about honoring that commitment, but it was what happened a little later that season that really pushed him. As he sat in the squad room for what was Paterno’s final team meeting, the long-time head coach spoke about taking advantage of every day you are given. He told his players to take care of one another and his message was something that struck a chord with Morris.“Something that Coach Paterno made very clear in his last team meeting was that he wanted us to take care of each other. … He was talking about the guys who came before us – the alumni – and the players that would come after us. That might have been the first time I realized how special being a part of the Penn State family was. It really put the ‘Success with Honor’ motto in perspective.”Those three simple words have led him to where he is today to the moment that “means the world” to him; graduation day. His on field accolades and leadership when the program needed him the most were not enough. What really mattered to Morris was being a part of the 87-percent.“I wanted to be a part of ‘Success with Honor’ and the tradition of Penn State football players getting their degrees. I wanted to walk across that stage. I want to be a part of that 87-percent graduation rate. I wanted to show the younger guys in the program now that if you set your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” Morris, a native of the metropolitan Washington, D.C., had planned to make the trek from his hometown of Greenbelt, Maryland, to State College with nine members of his family. The journey would have taken about three hours, but instead he will continue chasing his dream of NFL success. The family trip took a detour when he was invited to Tampa Bay for an open tryout. But, he expects to make Happy Valley a frequent destination.“It is amazing the brotherhood that this program has,” said Morris. “To be able to walk into the Letterman’s Club and see all of these guys who played in the '60s and '70s, all the way to us younger guys is amazing. You would think that some of the older guys wouldn’t really know who you are, but they know you better than anyone. They are up there telling stories, handing out business cards and that makes the Letterman’s Club such a special group to be a part of.”The stories Morris has from his career will stack up against many of those that populate the Letterman’s Lounge throughout the fall, including his favorite Penn State anecdote: a 2012 overtime victory over Wisconsin that punctuated what brotherhood can accomplish. Soon enough, however, Morris will have his own business cards to hand out and on them he can now proudly display: Penn State Class of 2015.