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Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan (right) kept a promise to his father Lester by returning to Rutgers and earning his degree this spring.

(Frank H. Conlon/For The Star-Ledger)

When Logan Ryan decided to leave Rutgers after his redshirt junior season in 2012, he made a deal with his parents.

Ryan would put school on hold and direct all of his focus to pursuing his NFL career. Then, after his rookie season, Ryan vowed to return to Rutgers to finish school.

Ryan held up his end of the bargain, and he'll graduate on Saturday with a degree in labor relations and a minor in psychology.

"It's a big accomplishment in my life," Ryan said. "I held my word to my parents and Coach (Kyle) Flood, and I stuck with it and I'm fortunate. It took a lot of work, but I was able to go back this offseason and finish and walk in this graduation."

Ryan, a third-round pick by the Patriots in last year's draft, led all NFL rookies with five interceptions last season. Immediately after the Patriots' season ended with a loss to the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 19, Ryan dove back into his schoolwork.

"I even had some classes start when we were in the playoffs, but professors worked with me and they allowed me to focus on the season," Ryan said. "Then when our season ended, by the time the Super Bowl rolled around, I was already in class. I knew it was something I wanted to do this year and not get too far removed from it."

Needing 15 credits to earn his degree, Ryan took 12 credits during the spring semester. He'll finish his final three credits this summer, but since he's on track to graduate, he'll be able to participate in the commencement ceremonies this weekend.

Ryan took his classes online, but he had to take exams for one class in person. That meant 4-5 hour drives to campus from the Patriots training facility in Foxboro, Mass., one-hour exams, and then 4-5 hour return drives to get back for workouts.

"My academic adviser Jenna Beverly definitely made it as convenient as possible," Ryan said. "Without her, I probably wouldn't be here. She definitely helped me every step of the way and helped me pick classes that could work with my schedule. But it also took a lot of effort on my end."

Ryan, who has a 3.4 GPA, isn't one to take a commitment lightly.

"My parents raised me to always finish what you start," Ryan said. "They didn't allow me to quit any teams. Growing up, if I was going to commit myself to doing something or if I had a new hobby, and my parents were going to pay for it or let me pursue it, they were going to make sure I took it seriously. Just like school, I didn't want to leave college and never finish. I committed to Rutgers, not only as a football player but as a student, so I was going to make sure I finished on that end, too."

If Ryan needed any added motivation, he only had to think about the trash talk he'd endure from his father Lester, a Rutgers alum, and his older brother Jordan, a Drexel grad, if he didn't finish school.

"Getting a degree was extremely important for me because my dad was the first person in my entire family to graduate," Ryan said. "There's always competitiveness in my family and I didn't want them to have that over me so it was definitely something that I intended to do."

Ryan will join other football graduates, including Eric LeGrand, for a lunch at the Hale Center on Saturday afternoon. With the Patriots in the midst of their offseason workout program, Ryan won't be able to attend Sunday's commencement ceremony at High Point Solutions Stadium because he'll be headed back to Foxboro.

Ryan marveled at the accomplishment by LeGrand, who began taking classes just three months after he was paralyzed during a 2010 game.

"It just shows you the commitment and how special of a person he is to finish," Ryan said. "I just think that says it all – just what the Rutgers family and Rutgers football is about. It's about sticking together and finishing and Eric is a perfect example of that."

Just as LeGrand has made inspiring others his mission, Ryan strives to serve as a role model. The Berlin, N.J., native is planning affordable football camps for local children beginning next year and he has bigger goals for after his playing career.

"I definitely want to be a business owner in some capacity, whether that's opening a sports training facility or being a silent business owner and having a couple of companies that I kind of look over," Ryan said. "Whatever it may be, I know down the road I want to help out with kids. I want to help out the South Jersey community and the state of New Jersey a lot. I just want to be a positive role model in the community for young kids and for young adults to not only just be an athlete, but to be student-athletes, be committed to their word and just be all-around good people."