Why is Bobby Wagner asking family to call him Doctor?

Bobby Wagner is a 10-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro and Super Bowl champion. He wants to be defined by something other than football, however.

The former Seattle Seahawks star recently received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Utah State. While speaking at the school's commencement ceremony, Wagner made a request to his family regarding his name.

“If you didn’t know, my name is now Dr. Bobby Wagner,” Wagner said. “And to any family members here, you need to update my name in your phone. It’s ‘Dr.’ now. I will no longer respond to ‘Bobby.’ It’s Dr. only.”

Utah State also retired Wagner's No. 9 in a pair of sweet gestures toward one of the football program's legends. Wagner is Utah State's all-time leading tackler (446) and is one of only three players to have their number retired.

Wagner went on to have a marvelous NFL career, one defined by longevity at an inside linebacker position that's notoriously tough on the body. He's entering Year 15 in the league and has missed only 10 regular-season games, a truly mind-boggling feat.

Whether the unsigned Wagner returns to the Washington Commanders is unclear, but he led the team with 162 tackles a season ago while starting every game. He'd be quite the mentor for the recently drafted Sonny Styles.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why is NFL legend Bobby Wagner asking family to call him Doctor?