The late country singer Toby Keith’s daughter, Krystal Keith, delivered remarks at the University of Oklahoma’s commencement ceremony last week while accepting an honorary degree on his behalf.

Keith died in February following a battle with stomach cancer. 

“When he learned last fall that he was being inducted to Sooner Nation on this high of a level, he was so excited, and he was so proud,” Krystal said during her speech, per Fox News.

Krystal went on to describe how her dad, an Oklahoma native, was devoted to the university, especially its sports teams, and was honored when he found out he’d be receiving the honorary degree.

“I actually made a joke about how many hours I spent here getting my bachelor’s degree, and he joked that he didn’t have to work that hard to get his,” she continued. “But we all know he earned it and spent many more hours dedicating his life to earning it this way. He loved his family (he loved all of us), God, our country, and Sooner Nation.”

“Throughout his life and career, he made sure to work hard to have the best, to be the best. He often said, ‘They may write better than me, they may sing better than me, and they may look better than me, but they will NEVER outwork me,’” Krystal said during her speech. “And that made all the difference. He was a larger-than-life legend, he was an icon, he did things his own way, his songs inspired nearly everyone in country music and beyond.”

The country music legend’s daughter also discussed how proud her father was to be an American, a value he passed to his children. “He always said, ‘Never apologize for being patriotic,’ and practiced what he preached through his work with the USO [United Service Organizations],” Krystal said. 

She also described his dedication to performing for the military. “He was going into the most dangerous zones, where guys that never got those entertainers to come to them, were housed and were sitting, and he would go and boost their morale. And that’s who he wanted to go see. We called him Captain America. And that’s something he earned.”

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“My dad taught me everything: singing, writing songs and … most of what I know about life. And I hope the graduates that are here today can learn from him, too. He fought hard to live his dream,” Krystal said in conclusion.

“He had faith and believed in himself. He never gave up the fight, even when the odds were against him. He would want me to tell you to never give up on yourself. As you start your next journey in life, know that you have strong roots here at the University of Oklahoma. Work hard and be the captain of your own ship. Believe in yourself and live your dream.”

Keith was also posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame after being selected for the honor days before his death.