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As emotional as it was for Jon Jay to return to the Cardinals -- the franchise he played with from 2010-15, won a World Series crown with in 2011 and will coach for in 2025 -- those feelings of sheer joy paled in comparison to a recent accomplishment the 39-year-old former outfielder celebrated last week.

Some 20 years after enrolling at the University of Miami in his hometown and starring for three seasons on the Hurricanes' baseball team, Jay walked with significantly younger classmates and earned a business degree on Dec. 12. Most of the 11 classes he still needed to complete to earn his degree were taken face-to-face over the last two years, making him feel like what he playfully called ¡°the old uncle on campus.¡±

As the son of a mother who was a teacher, Jay always promised himself that he would someday get the degree he valued so much. Doing so meant he had to sacrifice large swaths of his offseason while also working as the Marlins¡¯ first-base coach. He somewhat skittishly walked across the stage not knowing if he had made a passing grade in the final class needed, but he ultimately got the passing marks required to finally become a college graduate.

¡°It was just surreal, just to be there and work on something I started so long ago, and to go back 20 years later and get it done was amazing,¡± Jay said. ¡°One person I did it for was my mom, who was a teacher. Education was always very important to us.

¡°And for me, even though baseball was always my natural calling, I was always very much into school and the business side of the world. And for me, it was for my kids. They're young now, but I hope when they're older, they can appreciate what I did with going back to school and going on this journey.¡±

Something that makes Jay¡¯s journey even more impressive is that he finished off his classes while spending several days in recent weeks at the Cardinals¡¯ Spring Training headquarters in Jupiter, Fla. Ever since being named a Cards coach on Oct. 21, Jay has been busy working with St. Louis youngsters Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, Victor Scott II, Pedro Pag¨¦s and Mike Antico.

¡°This is all about relationships and getting the relationship building going,¡± Jay said. ¡°It's good to get familiar with these guys and start the groundwork on what we're trying to accomplish. They've been great and everyone's attitude has been amazing. From phone calls to working in person, everyone's eager to get started and to get better, which is a coach¡¯s dream, right?¡±

Jay noted that part of the reason he got into coaching and wanting to help others is because of the environment he was surrounded by when he broke into the big leagues with the Cardinals in 2010. At that time, veterans Albert Pujols, Chris Carpenter, Yadier Molina and Matt Holliday taught him about the ¡°Cardinal Way,¡± and they weren¡¯t afraid to speak up when a younger player didn¡¯t adhere to their workmanlike mantras.

At the same time, Jay was also surrounded by the famed ¡°Memphis Mafia,¡± a group of rising standouts who matriculated their way through Triple-A Memphis and helped spur the Cardinals to the 2011 World Series title. David Freese, Daniel Descalso, Allen Craig and Jay brought a youthful pizzazz to the veteran-laden Cards and helped push them past the Rangers in seven games.

As fate would have it, Freese, Descalso and Jay will be reunited this spring. Descalso, who has designs on someday being an MLB manager, will be in his second season as manager Oliver Marmol¡¯s bench coach. After two years of working for former Cardinal Skip Schumaker with the Marlins, Jay will not only coach the team¡¯s outfielders, but he also will serve as a sounding board for Marmol. Freese, the Most Valuable Player of that 2011 World Series, will also be on hand as a special instructor.

It will be the perfect reunion, Jay said, with St. Louis, which he refers to as ¡°my baseball home¡± and a Cardinals organization that is where ¡°I grew up.¡±

¡°It¡¯s just something that felt natural, and I'm super excited about the opportunity,¡± Jay said. ¡°I feel like I can help in many different areas with my playing experience and coaching experience. I just want to be a sounding board for the guys. I really love studying the game, and it's something that I think I bring to the table.¡±

As his recent college graduation and Miami degree show, Jay certainly isn¡¯t averse to studying. A young Cards core would be wise to listen and learn from all that Jay has to offer in 2025.