May 19, 2009
Orlando, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - T.J. Harnden comes into his fifth and final summer session with the football team a college graduate. The Tallahassee native earned his bachelor's degree on May 8, and returns to school to play his final season for the Knights.
Playing football isn't all that Harnden is excited about. The redshirt senior is looking forward to gaining more knowledge in the classroom as he starts his trek to earning his master's degree in sports management.
On working out in his fifth summer with the Knights
"The fifth summer is probably going to be the most exciting because I know what the deal is now and I am excited about coaching the youngsters and helping out in that area. I love all of my teammates and spending time with them. It is just going to be a good experience."
On starting his graduate school classes
"I am most looking forward to starting graduate school. I have loved all of the education that I have gotten here. It has been an adventure and I have made long gains and strides in that area with the help of the coaching staff helping stay on me about my academics. I will be starting classes in the sports management track."
On his plan to graduating next summer
"The way my schedule works is that during the fall I will only be taking nine hours, but come spring I will kick it back up to 12. I have a 33-credit program, so I should be done by the end of next summer. That is what I am shooting for."
On his time off before summer workouts
"I spent some time with Bruce Miller up in Atlanta and they threw me a pre-graduation party. Then I came back to Orlando and graduated. After that I went up to Tallahassee to spend time with some friends."
Another way to enjoy the success of the Knights is through purchasing football season tickets which are on sale now. For more information, either call the UCF Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000 or check out the tickets page at UCFAthletics.com.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.