Nine years after leaving Long Beach State, Jazz forward Bryon Russell will receive his college degree.

Russell, three courses short of completing a bachelor's degree in criminal justice when he entered the NBA, recently served an internship with the South Salt Lake police to fulfill course requirements.

"I was a student before I became a professional athlete," Russell said. "The possibility of entering the NBA didn't come until my senior year at Long Beach. Up until that point, I considered a career in law. My degree was always important to me, and it was something I needed to complete."