by Sean Barrows, USF Athletics Communications

TAMPA - Senior tight end Andrew Ketchel isn't your normal football player.

In fact if it was not for his size, a towering six-foot-five and 250-pounds, most people would assume that he's just another grad student at USF. Yes, grad student. Ketchel has already completed his undergraduate studies, earning a degree in political science, and is working towards earning his master's degree in public administration.

The drive to earn a degree and start work on another came from home, where his parents have been a huge influence on his development. 

"They've been people that have guided me in the right direction in my life and I have been very blessed to have them both," said Ketchel of his parents. 

In addition to instilling a work ethic in the classroom, Ketchel's parents led him to football as well. Ketchel's father played football for Duke from 1973-76, which helped him decide to pick up football in the ninth grade. His father also had another influence on him, one that set him apart from most football players and other people his age. His father was an attorney for over twenty years, ran for Congress in 1990 and 1992 and is currently a judge. Because of that, Ketchel has developed an avid interest in politics.

"I grew up in that environment, watching the news, keeping up with local, state, and national politics," said Ketchel. "My older brother is also in law school at Florida State, so he's been a big influence on me with politics."

In regards to what career he is looking into, his response was that of a typical college student.

"You know people ask me that all the time," Ketchel stated. "I don't know specifically what, but the good thing about an MPA is that I could do a lot of things. I could work at the local level as a city administrator, I could go up to the state level and work for a state agency, or even the federal level and work for a federal agency."

Back when Ketchel was deciding on what university to attend, he had choices like the one he'll make after football. With offers to play at a number of smaller schools, Ketchel based his decision on various things, but it was playing major college football with a chance to get his degree from a renowned academic institution that led him to USF.

"I had offers from a lot of smaller schools and ultimately it came down to the decision of a mix between good academics and playing in the Big East," said Ketchel. "When I got here, it was their second year in the Big East and they were a program on the way up. I wanted an opportunity to play on the big stage. I wanted to play BCS football and that was a big force behind the decision."

Now in his fifth-year, Ketchel is an elder statesman of a relatively young team, which has led some of his teammates to give him the nickname "Uncle Ketchel."

"I don't know how it started, probably because I act older than I am. I'm only 22 but I probably act 30 to 35 or more. It just kind of stuck on me one day and people ran with it," added Ketchel.

Last week against Florida, Ketchel saw all of his work over that five-year span pay off when he caught his first career touchdown in the Swamp against the Gators.

"It was really a life changing experience," Ketchel said. "It was special and I'm very blessed to have the opportunity to have done that, to even have been in that stadium and to play that game. Unfortunately, we didn't have the outcome as a team that we wanted, but on a personal note it was definitely fulfilling a lifelong dream to do something like that."

Thanks to his work off the field, which will include two degrees, Ketchel has set himself up to fulfill another dream, whatever it may be, once he hangs up the cleats.