Last month, Florida A&M defensive lineman Tyrese Gibson Battles achieved a feat that hadn't been accomplished in his family in 100 years.
Graduated from university.
Gibson Battles received his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in quantitative analysis from FAMU in May, making him the first person in his family's 100-year history to earn the degree.
Gibson Battles graduated from the university with perfect grades, an overall grade point average of 3.87 and a semester grade point average of 4.0, earning summa cum laude honors, the highest graduating grade point average on the Rattlers football team.
Gibson Battles' graduation from college symbolizes his dedication to his education and the goals he recorded in his journal throughout his adolescence.
“All the accolades go to the highest level,” Gibson Battles said in an exclusive interview with the Tallahassee Democrat at FAMU's Bragg Memorial Stadium. “It's really special and it meant a lot to me to be the first to do it. I knew I could do it. It's been a goal of mine and something I've wanted to be successful at since I was a little kid.”
“Growing up, I had no one to look up to in terms of education. Now, the younger generations will realise that education is not an unreachable dream. I made history, but I wasn't trying to make history. I was just being myself and trying to be great.”
“This is not an ordinary degree. It means much more.”
Gibson-Battles will be pursuing a Master of Business Administration from FAMU's School of Business and Industry this fall while simultaneously playing his final season of college football for the defending Black College National Champion Rattlers.
Mathematics genius Gibson Battles wants to get his MBA, hang up his shoulder pads and football cleats, don his suit, tie and dress shoes and enter the world of entrepreneurship and accounting.
“Business, math and public speaking have always been my passions,” Gibson-Battles says, “and eventually I'd like to dabble in a variety of fields, whether that be insurance, accounting, financial advising or working for a corporation. I want to be in business. There are a lot of options, but I have to be an entrepreneur and a business owner. That's important to me and my family.”
Defensive lineman Gibson Battles hates opposing quarterbacks, and he even mentions it on his X/Twitter profile.
But the FAMU graduate wants people to know he's more than just an imposing football player looking to make the next hard tackle. FAMU football's academic performance is on the rise, with the school's academic progress rate increasing 49 points to 950 for the 2022-2023 school year, thanks to the support of FAMU football's associate athletic director for student-athlete success and competitive development, Carrie Hickey Tollison.
“Football players aren't just robots,” Gibson-Battles said, “and it's really important that they represent themselves in the classroom and on the field and show people that, although it's not easy, it's possible to do both.”
From Cleveland to Tallahassee: Tyrese Gibson-Battles arrives at FAMU for a fresh start
Gibson Battles played at NCAA Division II Urbana University and Garden City Community College before transferring to FAMU prior to the 2023 season to play Division I football.
He's a long way from his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio — nearly 15 hours and 1,000 miles to be exact.
While the move to the South inevitably required an adjustment period, it also marked a full-circle moment for Gibson-Battles, who has family in the area and played for FAMU's athletic program headed by Cleveland Cavaliers legend LeBron James.
Gibson Battles saw his enrollment at FAMU as a step toward progress: He helped the Rattlers win the Black College Football National Championship while continuing his education at a top-ranked public HBCU.
“I was destined to be here. I knew that in order to become great and improve myself, I would have to make sacrifices on this journey and get out of my comfort zone,” Gibson-Battles said.
“Leaving home is hard and one of the most difficult things I've ever done in life. Trying to excel in the classroom and on the playing field during one of society's most challenging times, far from my family with few resources and little help, seems impossible. What gets me through is God, my fear of mediocrity, and my drive to be capable of providing for my family.
“Home is there. I have to strive for greatness.”
Gibson-Battles' first school, Urbana, closed in 2020 while he was a student-athlete. It was just two hours from his home in Cleveland.
When the Urbana school closed, Gibson-Battles went to Garden City Community College in Kansas, 17 hours away from Cleveland.
The experience at smaller programs in Urbana and GCCC made Gibson-Battles a hard worker, and ultimately led him to a place at the top of Seven Hills.
“It's discipline and daily sacrifices. It's not all smooth sailing,” Gibson-Battles said as she reflected on her days before FAMU. “Greatness is only measured by what you accomplish. All of my struggles have only made me the person I was meant to be, because adversity builds character.”
FAMU football player Tyrese Gibson Battles hopes his journey can be an inspiration to everyone.
Gibson Battles enjoyed the fruits of his labor.
He began his humble life in Cleveland and moved to Tallahassee to pursue higher education and become a national champion.
Gibson Battles respects and appreciates that journey.
“Life is short. Enjoy the beauty in it and do the right thing,” Gibson Battles said. “I came from nothing, just a will. You have to want it harder than your next breath.”
Gibson Battles is hoping to move on to the next stage of his education and be a guiding light for the next generation as he completes his final season with the Rattlers.
The framework is in place.
And his purpose shines through every milestone in his 23 years of life.
“In a world where there's so much negativity, I'm just trying to do something positive and be a great person while doing it,” Gibson-Battles said. “I do this for my family and my mom who sacrificed her life to raise us. I do this for everyone who's going through any challenge and I hope others will follow my lead.”
“Yell to Mom, Dukes, and Cleveland.”
Florida A&M Rattlers 2024 Football Schedule
- Aug. 24 in Atlanta* against Norfolk State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge at 7:30 p.m., ABC
- Aug. 31 vs. South Carolina State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
- Sept. 7, Miami, 6 p.m., ACC Network
- Sept. 21, Troy, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Sept. 28 vs. Alabama A&M, 6 p.m., ESPN+
- Oct. 5, at Alabama, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Oct. 19, at Jackson State, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Networks
- Oct. 26 vs. Southern, 7 p.m., ESPN Network
- Nov. 2 vs. Texas Southern (Homecoming), 4 p.m., ESPN+
- Nov. 9, Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+
- Nov. 16 vs. Mississippi Valley State, 1 p.m.
- Nov. 23 vs. Bethune-Cookman, Orlando*, 3:30 p.m., ESPN Network
- November 30: FCS playoffs begin
- Dec. 7: SWAC Championship, location/team TBA, ESPN2
- Dec. 14: Celebration Bowl, Atlanta*, team TBA, 12 p.m., ABC
Bold = SWAC
* = Neutral site
Gerald Thomas III covers Florida A&M University sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. He can be reached by email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or via app (formerly Twitter). translation:.
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