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It’s been a good year for twin brothers Jason and Devin McCourty. First, they became teammates on the New England Patriots ahead of the 2018 NFL season. It was the first time they were in the same secondary since playing together at Rutgers a decade ago. Fast forward a few months later and the Patriots won the Super Bowl, which was the first time in Jason’s pro career and the third title for Devin.
On Tuesday, a great honor was bestowed upon the brothers, as they were announced as commencement speakers for Rutgers University’s main campus in New Brunswick.
.@RutgersU would like to announce Rutgers distinguished alums Devin and Jason McCourty as Rutgers University Commencement Speakers for 2019! #RutgersCommencement is on May 19, 2019 at 10 a.m. #RU2019 @McCourtyTwins pic.twitter.com/azZa5VG2Fe
— Rutgers Commencement (@RUCommencement) April 9, 2019
Both are Rutgers graduates, with Jason getting his degree in 2009 and Devin in 2010. They were a big part of leading the football program to sustained success in the late 2000’s under then head coach Greg Schiano.
Jason played the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans, followed by one season with the Cleveland Browns and last year with the Patriots. He has amassed 17 interceptions, forced 9 fumbles, and made 631 tackles in his career so far. McCourty came up big in his first Super Bowl in February, breaking up a pass to save a touchdown that helped the Patriots to victory.
Devin has played all nine seasons in New England, where he has produced 21 interceptions, 9 forced fumbles, and 717 tackles. He has been the cornerstone of a Patriots secondary over the last decade, leading to three Super Bowl titles.
In addition, the brothers have done great work off the field over the years with their charity “Tackle Sickle Cell”. They organize annual blood drives, as well as a 5K race to raise money to combat that disease, among other fundraising events. They held a Casino night last fall that raised over $200,000 dollars and were honored by the NFLPA for their efforts. Overall, they’ve raised more than 1.5 million dollars through their charity for people fighting sickle cell.
The McCourty brothers have been tremendous representatives for Rutgers over the years and it’s great to see them receive this honor, allowing them to share their wisdom and experience with the 2019 graduating class of Rutgers University. They will also receive honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees during the commencement ceremony.