"I'm a huge Hawkeyes fan and a really big Bears fan too," said Tolander, who bought the jersey shortly after Daniels was drafted. "So it was pretty awesome."

The gesture by Tolander was appreciated by Daniels, who grinned and raised his arms as he walked across the stage to receive his diploma.

"I got applause," Daniels said. "Everybody stood up. It was fun. It was cool."

The Bears offensive lineman earned a degree in health and human physiology with a 3.24 grade point average.