College football players get a choice to leave early and start cashing in from the NFL. But if they’re like James Cook, that unfinished business lingers, in his case, a degree he left behind in Athens. He was a Georgia legend with a championship ring. But five years after heading to the NFL, the $50 million Buffalo Bills RB came back to campus for closure.

At 26, James Cook is officially a graduate of the University of Georgia. The NFL’s reigning rushing king went back and earned his degree in Family and Consumer Sciences. 

As Adam Schefter reported, “NFL rushing leader and three-time Pro-Bowl selection James Cook has graduated from the University of Georgia and will walk at the ceremony May 8th.”

James Cook could’ve been in the NFL by 2021, but he chose to come back. And in that season, he piled up 728 rushing yards and seven scores, playing a key role in Georgia’s title win over Alabama in January 2022. But what made that run different was his intent.

“I can say just going out with a bang with the people I came in here with, it’s very special,” he said back in 2022. “We came back for a purpose and we worked hard as older guys. We led the right way. Just the whole offseason was special, how we connected, like the reason why we’re here today talking to you guys. I mean, we just came together as brothers and got the job done.”

That was a mission statement and it carried into his NFL career because James Cook became a phenom in the league. Drafted in the second round (No. 63 overall) by the Buffalo Bills in 2022, he put up three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons. His 2024 season saw him running for 1,009 yards and a league-best 16 touchdowns. Then he improved to 1,621 rushing yards in 2025, good enough to lead the NFL.

Buffalo rewarded him with a nearly $50 million contract extension. In 2025, James Cook agreed to a four-year, $48 million extension that runs through 2029. And yet, in the middle of the football success, he went back to class because he sees himself not just as an NFL player, but a professional who can contribute to society off the field. But as meaningful as that degree is, his real test is still waiting on Sundays for now. 

James Cook will continue to thrive in the NFL 

James Cook already checked off nearly every individual box with respect from across the league. What’s left to chase now is a Super Bowl ring. The Bills have been consistent and dangerous over the years with four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1991-94. But they’re yet to bring home the ring. And now, with Cook and Josh Allen, they’ll try for it again. 

The Bills also added ten new players in the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s a heavy focus on defense with six defensive additions, three on offense and one punter. They traded back three times in the first round giving them flexibility to reload where it mattered. Even ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. saw the logic, grading the Bills’ class a “B-” while noting the pressure surrounding the franchise. 

“After seven straight playoff appearances ended in heartbreak (and the firing of coach Sean McDermott), the pressure is on right now,” he wrote. “Quarterback Josh Allen is turning 30 next month; the Bills need to get over the hump and find a way into the Super Bowl. As a result of the trades, Buffalo shuffled its fourth-rounders and moved up from No. 91 to the back end of Round 2 (No. 66).”

Names like T.J. Parker and Davison Igbinosun are expected to contribute early. And if they do, they might help in flipping close losses into deep playoff runs. James Cook has already proven he can carry an offense. Now, the question is whether he can help carry a franchise over the line.