ATHENS –- Reshad Jones, who arrived in Athens from Atlanta's Washington High School as one of the nation's top recruits, departed Tuesday for the NFL draft.
The Georgia safety, who was redshirted as a freshman and played in every game the next three seasons, said he will forgo his final year of eligibility at UGA and enter the 2010 draft because he feels "the time is right" to jump to the NFL.
"I think I have made some tremendous strides over a four-year period, not only on the football field but off the football field also as a man," Jones said. "I think I have matured and I have grown. That's what led me up to my decision. I feel like I am mentally and physically prepared and ready for the next level."
He made the decision after receiving a projection from a NFL advisory board of his draft potential. He would not disclose what round the panel projected him to be drafted in, but said "it was good enough for me" to make the leap.
Word should come soon from another Georgia underclassman, junior linebacker Rennie Curran, on whether he too will leave school early for the draft. Curran, the SEC's leading tackler this past season, told UGA Tuesday he has not yet made a decision.
"I have no idea what he's going to do," Jones said of Curran.
Jones came close to entering the 2009 NFL draft as a third-year sophomore, changing his mind several times before opting at the last minute to remain in school. This time, he did not waver.
"I sat down with my grandma and granddaddy," he said, "and we felt this was the best decision for me."
If Jones had returned for a senior season, he would have been playing under a new position coach and defensive coordinator. Willie Martinez was fired on Dec. 2, and head coach Mark Richt is still in the process of hiring a replacement.
"That would be kind of hard, coming in my senior year [and] learning a whole new scheme when I've been part of the same scheme for four years," Jones said. "That would be hard to get a hold to."
Jones, 6 feet 2 and 215 pounds, started all 13 games this past season, making 73 tackles and intercepting a team-high four passes. He finished the season strong, intercepting passes in the regular-season finale against Georgia Tech and the Independence Bowl against Texas A&M, both victories. A superb performance against Tech was particularly gratifying to him, given that he drew much criticism for missing a key tackle in the 2008 loss to the Yellow Jackets.
"I had a pretty good season [in 2008], but I ended up on a bad note," Jones said. "Playing a great game against Tech and in the bowl game [in 2009] kind of solidified my decision of making the jump early."
He hopes his draft stock will rise -– even to the first round, he said –- if he puts on a dazzling performance at the NFL Scouting Combine last next month.
"I'll have to go to the Combine and just work my butt off ," he said. "Really I just need to blow up the Combine like I know I can and increase my stock and move up on the draft board."
Richt, who was on the road recruiting Tuesday, wished Jones well in a statement.
"We've certainly enjoyed having Reshad and appreciate all he's done for the Bulldogs during his career," Richt said. "He's played hard every time out and did an outstanding job in our secondary. I'm hopeful this decision works out in his best interest and we wish him nothing but the very best."
Jones said he is about eight classes short of graduation, "but I will come back and get my degree."
Georgia lost three underclassmen to the NFL draft last year: quarterback Matthew Stafford, who wound up the No. 1 pick; tailback Knowshon Moreno, the No. 12 pick; and cornerback Asher Allen, a third-round pick.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
