If Naval Academy alum and future NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson had the chance to turn pro immediately after graduation, he would have.

“I would have gone straight into the NBA,” said Robinson, a 1987 graduate. “[Serving two years] had its benefits. I could grow up a bit and work the 9-5 and got to do some fun things on a personal level. On a pro level, the good I feel like I could [have] been doing in the NBA far outreached me negotiating a contract as a civil engineer on a street light in southern Georgia.”