'Coming from a place of accountability' - How the Black Lives Matter movement inspired analyst and ex-USMNT star Taylor Twellman to earn a degree 20 years after he left college

As an experienced broadcaster who had been in the media world for more than a decade, he didn't see much value at that point in pursuing a broadcast journalism or communications degree. Yet he had seen from afar the division caused by Floyd’s murder, and says he found himself on social media feeds full of opinions. He wanted to cut through and understand the roots of it all - and admit where he, as a white man, could learn.

“I wanted to learn, and it would make me better in the sense of having conversations, better in the sense of interviewing people, better in the sense of coming from a place of accountability, empathy, any word you want to use,” Twellman said.

And in a time of political and racial tension, he believed that a degree that could help him better understand the tumult of the times, which would benefit him not only as a person but also as an analyst. Being in sports media, Twellman wanted to more effectively connect with those he interviewed - regardless of background - and understand their perspectives. An expanded education, he believed, could help foster more understanding.

Twellman had always been a good student athlete. His grades were solid throughout high school. He arrived at Maryland in 1998, and had other offers to play multiple sports at high-level universities. But the Terrapins presented him with an opportunity to play both soccer and baseball - although only the baseball program provided a scholarship.

Being a dual-sport athlete came with its challenges. It meant Twellman had to shoulder a heavy courseload early in his freshman year, taking 18 credits his first semester while also playing for the soccer team. It meant he was in classes from 8 a.m until 1 p.m., then in practice after that. There wasn’t much room to socialize.

“I was panicked about baseball season, traveling more than soccer… freshman year, I'm grinding like I was graduating already,” he said.

Still, when he left Maryland to sign a professional soccer contract, Twellman had three years of school to complete. And then the world took over: playing in MLS and for the USMNT, then ultimately broadcasting. Going back wasn’t something he had fully considered.

Then, in 2017, his thinking changed, buoyed by a call from Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski.

“When Maryland joined the Big Ten [Conference], they had identified a few of their former athletes who left with scholarships and offered to re-engage in finishing your degree. So it was great,” Twellman said.

At first, he didn’t know what to study. Twellman hadn't previously declared a major, and there weren’t any immediate passions. And then the world changed. He became an American Studies major and immersed himself in the kind of complex issues that have come to dominate the political and social landscape in America.

“It was a confluence of events, timing, where I was in my life," he says. "If you asked me 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have taken these classes."

He took classes about racial tensions. He learned more about global conflicts and geo-politics. Piece it all together, and that degree turned out to mean much more.

“I don't regret a single second, because I've learned things that I would have never learned," he said. "Taking, for instance, two classes on Israel and Hamas. I would have never learned that."

Of course, there were some lighter moments, too. Zoom classes could be awkward for everyone, and after his lighthearted banter with a few students, one kind professor agreed that it might be a good idea for Twellman to use his initials “TT” rather than his full name in large group settings.

In smaller discussion groups, though, Twellman had no problem showing his face and getting involved. In fact, he wanted to.

“When I got into smaller classes, I thought it was important, especially when you were talking in the media profession, or journalism world, I 100 percent was myself,” Twellman said.

Then last week it all came to fruition. It’s there on his Instagram, Twellman sitting in front of McKeldin Library, a picture thousands of Maryland graduates have taken over the years, cap and gown on: a 45-year-old, finishing college, and doing so for a cause he was committed to.

He is no stranger to social causes and activism. Twellman is one the most prominent figures in the American soccer landscape. But for 15 years, he has also run the Think Taylor Foundation, a charity that educates and works with youth athletes about brain injuries stemming from repeat concussions - a nod to the reason Twellman was forced to hang up his boots early.

Maryland soccer, too, works with former goalkeeper Zack Steffen’s VOYCENOW Foundation, intended to bring athletes together to speak out on social and racial issues. Twellman is a product of that environment. Ultimately, for him, it comes down to a sense of morality.

“I just wanted to be more educated and understand the world," he said. "And I think as a journalist, it's my responsibility to do."