Derek Jeter’s Powerful Message to Michigan’s Class of 2025: ‘You Will Fail’
Today, Derek Jeter is one of the most respected players in Major League Baseball. But it wasn't always that way. As Jeter addressed the University of Michigan's 2025 graduating class, he emphasized that failure is an essential part of the journey to success.
"You Will Fail."
As the Yankees legend stepped up to the lectern at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, May 3, he wasted no time cutting through the usual graduation fluff. His message was direct, even a bit jarring – especially on a day typically filled with optimism:
"If I can promise you one thing for certain: You will fail."
He encouraged graduates to view setbacks as opportunities for growth and to make choices aligned with their values.
Jeter then shared a startling statistic with the crowd, noting that in his first season of professional baseball, he committed 56 errors. The point of this admission emphasized the overall theme of the speech – that embracing failure can ultimately lead to success.
Derek Jeter is Now an Honorary Graduate of the University of Michigan
The baseball Hall of Famer poked fun at himself, telling the crowd of 70,000 graduates, parents, and faculty members that he hadn’t completed his college degree.
"As of today, all of you have made it further in school than me," he said. "As a matter of fact, technically, I think I'm still a freshman."
Jeter enrolled at U of M in the fall of 1992 but left the following year when he was drafted by the New York Yankees.
On Sunday, Jeter was presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, according to The University Record.
Watch Jeter's inspiring video to the Class of 2025 below.
