Detroit Tigers center fielder Cutris Granderson speaks to athletes on effective time managment in Hughes-Trigg Theater on Monday night. (Stuart Palley)

On Monday night, SMU’s athletes received advice on how to manage several aspects of their lives during the school year and their seasons from a notable source.

Detroit Tigers’ centerfielder Curtis Granderson gave tips to the student athletes in a session put together by SMU’s Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Jeff Konya.

Konya invited Granderson because he is the embodiment of the three goals that Athletic Director Steve Orsini has for student athletes: to graduate from SMU, to succeed athletically and to be the best person you can be.

Granderson is a 2003 graduate of the University of Illinois-Chicago with a double major in business management and business marketing.

The first thing Granderson did was emphasize the “student” in “student athlete.”

“No matter what, your education comes first and foremost,” Granderson said.

Granderson knows about education, coming from a family where both of his parents teach and his sister is a college professor. Granderson said that speaking at SMU was his way to get his teaching in.

The main point Granderson wanted to give the students was the importance of time management and establishing priorities, class, team commitments, studying and not forgetting about family and friends.

“Friends and family are very important in your life,” Granderson said. “They are the people that got you to where you are.”

Granderson also hit on the importance of knowing what it means to be a student athlete in the public eye. Being smart in certain situations and avoiding other situations all together, citing examples of the Kansas women’s soccer team who got caught with inappropriate pictures on a MySpace page, or Ben Roethlisberger out drinking with young girls on a Facebook profile.

Most importantly, Granderson stressed the significance of getting a college degree.

Granderson was drafted after his junior year of college, but went back to college after his first year in Minor League Baseball to finish his senior year and get his diploma.

Granderson finished by talking about leadership roles. He decided the different ways to be a leader. On the field and off the field, and being a vocal leader or leading by example, that anyone can be a leader, even freshmen have things to offer the upperclassmen, just like they have something to offer the freshmen.