NFL’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Says His College Degree Was Withheld Over $1

An NFL defense back who recently signed a $3 million contract said on Twitter this week that his college alma mater has held up his degree because he has an outstanding student account balance of $1.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the University of Alabama alum who has played safety in the NFL for the last five years, tweeted about the issue on Saturday.

“I owe 1$ I can’t believe y’all been holding my degree for 100 pennies. I thought I didn’t graduate y’all dead wrong.” He also posted a screen shot of his student account page, listing the $1 balance.

The player, whose real name is Ha’Sean Treshon Clinton-Dix, played at Alabama starting when he was a true freshman in 2011, and played until 2013, entering the NFL Draft the following year. The screenshot he posted indicates that Clinton-Dix went back to Alabama to finish his degree, and Bleacher Report reported in the spring of 2018 that Clinton-Dix, along with fellow NFL players Derrick Henry and Amari Cooper, had graduated from the University of Alabama.

“After leaving school early chasing a check I realized what paper was most important and that was my degree,” Clinton-Dix said on Instagram in May of 2018, along with a photo of himself receiving his diploma.

It’s not particularly unheard of for colleges to withhold degrees due to nonpayment of tuition, or due to a lack of completion of course work, even if the student had been permitted to participate in graduation exercises along with his or her class. It is less common for universities to do such a thing due to a $1 outstanding balance in a student’s account.

Clinton-Dix majored in criminal justice in Alabama, and even served an internship with the Green Bay Police Department during his time with the Packers.

I owe 1$ I can’t believe y’all been holding my degree for 100 pennies. I thought I didn’t graduate ???? y’all dead wrong @UofAlabama for doing ya boy like this ?? pic.twitter.com/Pu06lielt7

— Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (@haha_cd6) April 18, 2019

A first-round draft choice of the Green Bay Packers, Clinton-Dix played for the Packers until last season, when he was traded to the Washington Redskins prior to the league’s trade deadline. He went on to sign a one-year, $3 million deal with the Chicago Bears in March, per NBC Sports Chicago.

Clinton-Dix has 14 interceptions in his NFL career to date.

“I was getting calls from other teams who wanted to sign me and the money was more,” Clinton-Dix said at the time that he signed. “You see so many guys get to the end of their careers, their successful careers, and now they’re trying to chase a ring. I have the opportunity to do that in my prime.”