On Saturday, May 11, former men’s soccer player Will Betts will be graduating from the Stetson School of Business and Economics with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, but that is not all he will be taking away from Mercer.
Successful would be an understatement in describing Betts’ career as a student-athlete at Mercer. Not only has Betts appeared in every game since his freshman year, he also contributed to the team with four goals in the 2012 season, making him the second leading scorer for the Bears. This is something that not many collegiate athletes achieve, and those are only a few of his accomplishments.
Just recently, Betts was announced as “Student-Athlete of the Year,” an award given by Mercer’s athletic director based on performance in the classroom and athletic competition, along with overall work ethic, attitude and character.
To continue his long list of accomplishments, Betts was also named to the 2012 Academic All-American Team and the 2012 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Scholar All-South Region squad. With an overall 3.98 cumulative GPA, the Brenham, Texas native has proven to be one of the most diligent students at the university, but he explains that the lessons he learned while being at Mercer are far greater than anything that he was taught in the classroom.
“I will always remember the greatness that can be accomplished through chemistry and teamwork. I have learned to cherish the friendships and bonds that can be formed from working together toward a common goal,” said Betts.
Betts said that these friendships and bonds that he created on the field with his teammates are something that he’s going to miss once he leaves Mercer, along with the competition in practice, but especially in games.
“Competing to represent this great university that has meant so much to me with my best friends has been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” said Betts.
Although he will always have the fond the memories of being a college athlete, Betts admits that there are many parts about being a student-athlete that he is looking forward to getting away from. After always being on a set schedule formed by his classes and soccer coach, Betts said that he is ready to work on his own time, especially if it allows him more time to play video games with his roommates.
“As nerdy as it sounds, I love video games. My roommates and I spend countless hours playing Call of Duty, Tiger Woods and NHL,” said Betts.
Upon graduation, Betts plans on continuing his studies at graduate school to earn a Juris Doctorate along with a Masters of Business Administration. He is still unsure of which school he will be attending, but Duke, University of Georgia and Southern Methodist University are what he’s narrowed his decision down to.
Betts hopes to one day be a successful lawyer, but no matter what success he has in his professional career, soccer will always play a huge role in his life.
“I will always be involved with soccer. From intramurals in graduate school to playing in adult leagues and coaching my children, it will always be a passion that I will carry with me.”