Russell Wilson’s commencement speech at Wisconsin

5:51 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson delivered the commencement speech at the University of Wisconsin on Saturday.

Here is the full text of his address:

“Hello everyone. It’s good to be back in this stadium, obviously. Chancellor [Rebecca] Blank and the Board of Regents, faculty, parents, family members, friends, distinguished guests, thank you. Obviously it’s an honor to be here today, and Bill, thank you for that introduction, really good. I didn’t know all that about you, but it’s fun to hear. And congratulations to the class of 2016.

“You know, Chancellor Blank, you talked about beating Minnesota; I remember beating Minnesota at Minnesota pretty good too. It feels good to be back at Camp Randall. I have stood in this end zone many times before, but never quite in a uniform this ridiculous. I’m just waiting for the jump-around.

“I was really excited to come back to Madison on a weekend. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone to Wando’s and seen you guys at Wando’s drinking your fish bowls. That’s a joke — maybe. We’ve got some fun spots in Seattle, but nothing quite like Wando’s.

“Of course, I’m also here to share some things I’ve learned — things like if you’re dating a woman that’s way out of your league, ask her to marry you. If you can throw a football 80 yards, for some reason people think that’s pretty cool. And if you’re playing the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl and you’ve got 26 seconds left and you’re down by four and it’s second-and-goal on their 1-yard line, try not to throw an interception. That’s purely, purely hypothetical though, of course.

“But no, here’s something that I really have learned. You can’t do it alone. You’ve got to surround yourself with good people. I’m lucky to have some really good people with me today — my mom, my sister and my fiancée. And class of 2016, you’ve got some really good people with you today too. So let’s give it up for parents, grandparents, family and friends, professors and mentors who have helped you make it this far. Let’s have a big round of applause.

“Of course, today though is about the graduates. Earlier today, I had a chance to meet just a few of the members of the class of 2016. And I was truly inspired. I met Marcus Bolles. When Marcus came here the first time, he failed a few classes and had to transfer out. But he didn’t give up. After community college, he came back to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and today he’s getting that bachelor’s degree.

“I met Leah Olsen. Leah’s 6-year-old son Dylan has cerebral palsy, but he’s not willing to let that define him. And neither is Leah. She’s always fought for her son, and she’s graduating today with a degree in social work so she can fight for even more families like theirs. I met Pablo Montes. Pablo’s the first in his family to go to college. There were semesters when he worked three different jobs while studying full-time. One semester he couldn’t make enough to pay rent. So he was homeless, living on friends’ couches. It hasn’t been easy for Pablo, and yet today he’s graduating with a double major in sociology and human development. I met Katherine Nachman. Katherine served our country as an intelligence analyst in the Marine Corps. Then she went to school and earned her undergraduate degree. And today she’s graduating with a master’s in social work.

“You know, meeting with Marcus and Leah and Pablo and Katherine and hearing stories about all of the people here in this stadium who have already beaten the odds and changed the world, I admit, I almost felt kind of confused. I mean, I’m not the most conventional person to give a charge to the graduates. I was a college student myself just six years ago. And the thought of turning 30, just being 27, still kind of scares me. And when a 300-pound guy is chasing me down the field with a big ‘G’ on the side of his helmet, wearing green and yellow, the last thing I’m thinking about is: How do I use my liberal arts degree?

“But here’s what I realized. In a few hours, all of us will leave Camp Randall with the exact same mission: to make the most of whatever talents we were born with, whatever gifts God’s given us. Because if you’re earning a degree from UW-Madison, the question isn’t whether you have something to offer to the world — you definitely have something to offer to the world. — he question is how and whether you’ll do it.

“There’s something my dad used to always teach me. I remember playing tee-ball as a kid, and not to brag, but I was a really good tee-ball player. I’m talking really good. I crushed tee-ball. So even though I was just 3 or 4 years old, I remember thinking, ‘You know, I can be something special one day.’ My dad thought I might be getting ahead of myself so he’d set me straight. He’d say, ‘Son, potential just means you haven’t done it yet.’ Potential just means you haven’t done it yet.

“Already in my career I’ve seen that lots of people have potential, but not everyone does it. And I’ve learned that the difference isn’t the way that people handle themselves when things go well. When you land the job you want, or you go to the school you want, or you achieve something maybe a little bit earlier than you expected, go ahead and celebrate it, be happy. Enjoy it. But remember that the moments when life tells you yes aren’t the ones that define you. The moments that really matter are the moments when life tells you no. That’s what I wanted to focus on today. What do you do when life tells you no?

“You may be surprised to hear this, but life has told me no lots of times in my career. In 2007, I went to college at NC State because I wanted to play baseball and football. Most of all, I wanted to play quarterback in the National Football League. Fast-forward to 2008, my first eligible year on the football team, and …

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