Throughout his illustrious 20-year career in the MLB, Derek Jeter was one of the most successful and most celebrated players in the league.

Derek Jeter, a 14-time MLB All-Star, played his entire 20-year career in the majors with the New York Yankees.

A triple-threat, Jeter also briefly played college baseball for the Michigan Wolverines and returned to the university on Sunday, May 4 to officially graduate from college.

He received the honorary degree and served as the commencement speaker for the University of Michigan Class of 2025 a day earlier. His comments were made in front of nearly 70,000 people at Michigan Stadium.

“Since I’ve had a head start on life, I’ll share insights into what’s to come,” Jeter told a the crowd.

“How you approached today, and every day, is a choice — your choice. Your life will ultimately be framed by the choices you make.”

Derek Jeter on the important of failure

Jeter still holds countless franchise records for the Yankees, including most hits, most stolen bases and most games played. He enjoyed an extraordinarily successful career, but on Saturday he chose to focus a portion of his speech on the failures that he had endured.

“If I can promise you one thing for certain: You will fail,” the 50-year-old said.

“I failed publicly. I failed miserably. There were days I literally cried because I was so bad. My first season as a professional, I made 56 errors. For the non-baseball fans, that’s hard to do intentionally.”

He continued: “It’s your job to make sure that a speed bump doesn’t become a roadblock.”

He ended his remarks by turning his focus to the University of Michigan, a place that he had only spent a few months, 33 years ago. He thanked the college for having welcomed him back for the event and told graduates that they will cherish these memories.

“These past few years have been some of the best of your life. This place, the people who have surrounded and supported you and helped shape who you are. You will always be a Michigan Wolverine,” Jeter said.