DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman University celebrated winter commencement for the first time in modern history on Saturday with 17 Wildcats student-athletes walking across the stage collecting degrees.

Bethune-Cookman student-athletes have always put academics first, and it showed Saturday with several collecting undergraduate and graduate degrees from B-CU inside the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center on the campus of B-CU.

Among the sports represented were football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball. From the B-CU football program, NFL All-Pro and Super Bowl champion Nick Collins - officially Willie Lee Collins III - returned for his undergraduate degree in Education.

Anthony Breeze (men's basketball) and Demetria Frank (women's basketball) earned their graduate degrees, while Jairo Acevedo and Alejandro Sanchez earned undergraduate degrees representing baseball. Jamarr Robinson picked up his graduate degree representing the Wildcats football team.

A total of eight student-athletes graduated with honors.