Kris Rhim
LOS ANGELES — In between Chargers recent offseason workouts, safety Derwin James Jr. leaned on his teammates for advice. James had agreed to be the commencement speaker at the University of Bridgeport — his first commencement address — and he needed an audience that wasn’t his family to practice in front of as the speech neared.
Recently, that audience was safety Tony Jefferson. James rehearsed his speech in the locker room lounge days before Bridgeport’s graduation.
“Tony said, ‘Yeah, that’s fire,'” James said while laughing.
The reassurance was all James needed. James gave the commencement address Saturday to undergraduate students from the University of Bridgeport at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Connecticut. The university awarded James with his first honorary degree, a Doctor of Humane Letters. James’ speech focused on confidence and motivation, leaning on his upbringing and journey to the NFL as an example to students not to see limits for their futures.
“I’m from a small town in Florida called Haines City, where there are limited opportunities but big dreams. I wasn’t supposed to be here by no statistics, but I’m here, and I’m thankful,” James said. “Your starting point doesn’t define your destination. What matters is the journey and the resilience you build along the way.”
James has a family connection to the University of Bridgeport; his cousin, Herron Gaston, is the vice president for external affairs. University president Danielle Wilken said, however, that James wasn’t chosen because of his family connection or his fame and accomplishments as a football player. Wilken said she was impressed by how James uses his privilege for good.
She pointed to James’ service, which has earned him two nominations for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, an honor that recognizes an NFL player who excels on the field and in service to his community.
“He played football in college [at Florida State], graduated, was a first-round draft pick and he hasn’t said, ‘OK. I have had all this awesome experience and I’m just going to keep that for myself,'” Wilken said. “He has leveraged all of that financial, that platform, and he’s tried to move his community forward, and I think that’s so critical for students to see.”
James said he never imagined he would give a commencement address, but that he wasn’t nervous about the speech. He credited coach Jim Harbaugh for his comfort in front of an audience.
Harbaugh introduced “wise words” to the team last season, where a person from the Los Angeles Chargers organization addresses the team. There is no directive for the speaker other than to share what is in their heart.
“It’s prepared me so much,” James said. “Because I feel like just by doing that, not only after practice, but before the game only in there, it’s a lot of pressure.”
James kept the commencement address largely a secret, other than the few teammates he practiced in front of. He hoped to surprise Harbaugh and others in the organization.
On the field, James is coming off something of a career renaissance. After a down year in 2023, he returned to his place as one of the best safeties in the NFL, earning first-team All-Pro honors for the third time and making his fourth Pro Bowl.
The Chargers’ season ended in disappointment with a 32-12 playoff thrashing by the Houston Texans, but James said he expects the team to be improved this season.
“Man, I’m so excited,” he said. “It’s been amazing with Coach Harbaugh year two, man. It’s a lot more confidence, and I can’t wait.”
