DECLARING FOR THE DRAFT: Jones reverses, returns

Reshad Jones’ final answer is … he’s staying.

On Monday, the Georgia safety said he would remain in school and forgo the NFL draft. On Wednesday, he said he was seriously rethinking that stance. On Thursday, he said he’s back to Plan A.

And this time his decision is binding, because Thursday was the NFL’s deadline for underclassmen to enter the 2009 draft.

“It was a back-and-forth day,” Jones said. “I was sort of like 50-50.”

He said the deciding factor, in the end, was his grandparents’ desire for him to earn a college degree.

“It will make my grandma and granddad really proud,” he said, “for me to come back.”

A redshirt sophomore last season, Jones said he will be 12 hours short of graduation after this semester. He said he’ll get his degree in consumer economics in December.

But Jones conceded he probably wouldn’t have been able to resist the lure of the NFL if the league’s advisory committee had projected him as a first- or second-round draft pick.

He wouldn’t say how much lower than that the committee projected him.

Jones’ decision to stay with the Bulldogs for at least the 2009 season followed decisions to leave for the NFL by three other Georgia underclassmen: quarterback Matthew Stafford, tailback Knowshon Moreno and cornerback Asher Allen.

“I just think in the final analysis everybody felt [Jones] wasn’t quite finished with what he needed to do to really be ready for the NFL,” coach Mark Richt said. “It seemed like he would benefit the most by staying, as far as where the NFL set him and where he could go.”

Jones, from Atlanta, led the Bulldogs in interceptions with five and was second in tackles with 76 this past season. He was named second-team All-SEC by The Associated Press.

He has two seasons of college eligibility remaining but said: “I’ll probably take it one year at a time.”

After this year’s difficult decision —- “I had a little trouble sleeping” Wednesday night —- he seemed clearly relieved.

“I’ve been on the fence whether to leave or come back,” he said. “But I’m proud to be a Bulldog now. And I’m ready to work.”