School of Hard Knocks graduate Terence Crawford gave University of Nebraska at Omaha students a memorable sendoff by delivering a commencement speech over the weekend.

Crawford, an Omaha native and four-division champion, traded the gloves and trunks for a cap and gown Friday to be the keynote speaker of the ceremony, as the school celebrated more than 2,000 graduates who earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

Crawford, once expelled from five different schools for fighting before he graduated from high school, also was honored with the inaugural Spirit of the Maverick Award by the university for the work he does keeping kids out of trouble through his Omaha-based nonprofit community-based athletic center, B&B Sports Academy.

He described the experience as special and a dream come true.

“Being from Omaha means you’re a fighter,” Crawford, 37, said during his speech at Baxter Arena, per the AP. “That’s two things we have in common. I was a fighter before I became a boxer. I was a competitor before I put on the gloves. I accepted this invitation to speak with you because I love being around other fighters. I love people who embrace who they are.

“You control your own destiny. You get to determine your greatness. You have everything you need to be a champion.

“It’s just as true in life as it is in boxing. You can set all the goals and make all the plans you want, but sometimes you’re going to get punched in the face. You get the job interview, but you don’t get the job. You get the match online, but you don’t get the date. You make an investment, and then the market takes a bad turn.

“When I was coming up, I watched fighters who came before me and I saw how they got the money, the fame. They blew it all on jewelry and cars. Once I became champion, I wanted more, so I had to keep being the same person and not letting success get to my head.

“There always is going to be someone with a faster car, a bigger house, more expensive clothes. Real fulfillment comes from somewhere else. This is important. Don’t be satisfied, ever. The moment I became a world champ, I didn’t celebrate it and call it quits. I said, 'What's next?'

“There are a lot of kids growing up just like me — rough neighborhoods, no guidance, nobody to look up to. I want to be a light for them and show them what’s possible. That’s what I want. I’m challenging you all to do the same. Remember where you come from. Remember you are a fighter.”

Crawford (41-0, 31, KOs) is preparing to get into fight mode and trying to cement his status as an all-time great when he steps up two weight classes to challenge super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) in September.

Crawford dived into the Alvarez fight and his chances at becoming a three-time undisputed champion during a recent interview with The Ring.

“I don't have to stop him. I just have to beat him. I'm not going in there looking to knock Canelo out. Could it happen? Yes, absolutely,” said Crawford.

“When I look at Canelo, [he’s] a smaller-bigger guy moving up in divisions. Being that these big guys are slower, they might catch him with something but he might see it at the last moment. They might catch him with a hard shot, but he's able to roll and turn with it, because he is coming from a smaller weight class that was faster, that was sharper. I am coming from a smaller weight class that was sharper and faster.

“If he gets hit with a sharp punch he doesn't see, he's definitely capable of getting hurt. He's not a machine. He's human just like me. He bleeds just like me. I'm not going in there thinking, 'Oh, I can't hurt this guy.' But I'm not going in there at the same time trying to knock him out. I'm trying to fight my fight and if the knockout comes and it's there, of course I am going to take it.”