It’s safe to say former Auburn WR Philip Pierre-Louis’s college career didn’t go exactly as he planned.

After tearing his ACL in 2008, he tore it again in 2010 and was never able to return to the field for the Tigers.

It was tough for Pierre-Louis to focus as he was academically suspended twice in the coming years, but he stuck it out and finally finished school last month.

Though it took a lot longer than expected to earn his degree, which is in economics, he told AL.com that it was important for him to finish school:

“That piece of paper is very powerful,” he said. “I always knew I was going to finish school, but I didn’t have a timeline when. I just had to.”

Pierre-Louis returned 11 kickoffs and eight punts in his two years with the Tigers, appearing in seven total games.

It’s fair to wonder what could have been if he’d stayed healthy, but at least Pierre-Louis is now set up for success in his non-athletic career.