Stroman celebrates graduation from Duke

A torn ACL turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Marcus Stroman.

The impassioned Toronto Blue Jays starter, who made the most of his unexpected downtime after a freak accident last season by going back to school, officially graduated from Duke University on Sunday with his family in attendance.

"I can't wait, it was a long time coming," Stroman told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm on Thursday. "There was a lot that went into this, and the fact that I have my whole family, my friends there with me, I can't wait to walk across that stage.

"I never thought I'd say I was thankful for tearing my ACL, but I am, because I grew so much as an individual. I was able to get my degree and I got stronger mentally, physically, through it all. I'm in a great position now, and that has a large part to do with the summer I had at Duke University."

Stroman's dedication to acquire his sociology degree also stems from a promise he made in 2012 to his mother, when he vowed he would finish his schooling, despite having just been drafted 22nd overall by the Blue Jays.

"Obviously I couldn't turn down what was being offered, but I was upset because I didn't finish my degree, and I knew how important that was to my parents," Stroman said. "I'm ecstatic now that I was able to go back and finish that last year. Everything kind of played out perfectly."