'I think he was just stunned at that moment.' This is why Josh Norman is celebrating

He was a runner-up on "Dancing with the Stars," he played in Super Bowl 50 and he has his own youth foundation.

Now Coastal Carolina University alum Josh Norman has an honorary doctorate in public service from the college - a surprise he received June 6 from CCU President David DeCenzo.

"The board of trustees and I wanted to recognize Josh for everything he's done for the underprivileged, for hurricane victims, for youth," DeCenzo said. "He's been a wonderful humanitarian, and we felt it was an honor that we could bestow on him just to say thank you for what he is doing for the university, for the community and for this nation."

DeCenzo said he'd never seen the athlete speechless.

"I think he was just stunned at that moment," DeCenzo said.

Norman took to Instagram after the surprise, expressing how shocked he was about getting the honorary degree. "Never in a million years did I ever think I would be serviced to such a prestigious honor," the post reads. "Gosh, it goes to show you god sure is great! Life will never be the same again!"

A Washington Redskins cornerback and former Carolina Panther, Norman founded Starz24, a foundation that helps children through programs that emphasize fitness and teamwork. He was on season 26 of "Dancing with the Stars." Norman was inducted into the George F. "Buddy" Sasser Hall of Fame at CCU in 2017.

DeCenzo said Norman is a "phenomenal ambassador" for the college.

"He's made all of us at CCU very proud of our university," DeCenzo said, adding how proud of he is of Norman, what he's done and what he's doing.

Hannah Strong: 843-444-1765, @HannahLStrong

This story was originally published June 10, 2018 at 2:23 PM with the headline "'I think he was just stunned at that moment.' This is why Josh Norman is celebrating."