Early entry roundup: Notre Dame's Fasano to leave for NFL draft
Notre Dame tight end Anthony Fasano headlined the list of players announcing their decisions Monday to leave college early for the NBA.
The 6-foot-4, 257-pound Fasano, one of the nation's top tight ends, decided the lure of the NFL outweighed his desire for winning a national championship at Notre Dame.
"Being in this position is a lifelong dream of mine," he said. "I realize I am finally able to reach it and I'm going to take advantage of that. It's been a long, hard decision."
Florida State linebacker Ernie Sims, Pittsburgh wide receiver Greg Lee, South Carolina safety Ko Simpson and cornerback Johnathan Joseph, Louisiana-Monroe receiver Drouzon Quillen, and North Carolina State offensive tackle Derek Morris and defensive tackle John McCargo also announced their decisions to apply for early entry into the NFL draft.
Also, Wisconsin tailback Brian Calhoun told his high school coach he will forgo his senior season and enter the draft, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on its Web site.
Fasano, one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award given to the nation's top tight end, said he made up his mind to turn pro after Ohio State beat the Fighting Irish in the Fiesta Bowl.
Fasano said the most difficult part of leaving is that the Irish hope to compete for a national championship next season. They finished this season ranked ninth, their highest since 1993, and return most of the key players from a record-setting offense.
"I think that was one of the things that really held me back from saying I was definitely going," Fasano said. "I came here to win a national championship, and I didn't do that. We have an opportunity next year, but personally I think the best decision was to leave at this time."
Sims gave up his final year of eligibility amid worries about a career-ending injury, and became the second Seminoles defensive player in two weeks to say he is leaving school early for a shot at the pros. He joins cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who missed the 2005 season with a knee injury.
"It's been my dream since I've been a little kid," Sims said. "Not a lot of people get a chance to play in the NFL."
Sims made 198 tackles in three seasons, two as a starter. He finished fourth on the team with 70 stops this season, including four in Florida State's 26-23 Orange Bowl loss last week to Penn State. Sims has been troubled by nagging injuries as well as concussions, missing a game at Duke in October.
"If I did come back, I would risk not being able to play again," he said. "I might get injured."
Lee, an all-Big East Conference wide receiver for the Panthers last season, is unlikely to be chosen in an early round. He caught 49 passes for 962 yards and seven touchdowns last season, down from his sophomore totals of 68 catches for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns in former coach Walt Harris' offense. Harris was replaced last season by Dave Wannstedt, who installed an offense that relies more on the run.
Simpson and cornerback Johnathan Joseph will be giving up their remaining two years of eligibility with the Gamecocks.
Simpson, a sophomore named a third-team AP All-America last month, led South Carolina with 103 tackles this season and had one interception. He said he started thinking about turning pro around midseason.
"This only comes once in a lifetime," Simpson said. "I think, basically, in two years I did probably what all I could do at USC. ... I just followed my heart and thought it was best."
Joseph led the Gamecocks with four interceptions this season and finished with 55 tackles. The redshirt sophomore started two games in 2004 before he broke his foot in the first quarter against Georgia.
Quillen, married with two children, is the first Louisiana-Monroe player to leave early for the NFL since cornerback Pat Dennis departed after the 1999 season.
Quillen caught 32 passes for 514 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2002 but missed the 2003 season with a knee injury. He bounced back to lead the Indians with 44 catches for 758 yards and seven touchdowns in 2004.
Morris, a 6-foot-6, 327-pound offensive tackle, started 11 of the 12 games he played in for the Wolfpack this season. McCargo, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound defensive tackle, had at least one tackle for a loss in each of the seven games he played in this season, including four against Clemson.
source : ASSOCIATED PRESS
The 6-foot-4, 257-pound Fasano, one of the nation's top tight ends, decided the lure of the NFL outweighed his desire for winning a national championship at Notre Dame.
"Being in this position is a lifelong dream of mine," he said. "I realize I am finally able to reach it and I'm going to take advantage of that. It's been a long, hard decision."
Florida State linebacker Ernie Sims, Pittsburgh wide receiver Greg Lee, South Carolina safety Ko Simpson and cornerback Johnathan Joseph, Louisiana-Monroe receiver Drouzon Quillen, and North Carolina State offensive tackle Derek Morris and defensive tackle John McCargo also announced their decisions to apply for early entry into the NFL draft.
Also, Wisconsin tailback Brian Calhoun told his high school coach he will forgo his senior season and enter the draft, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on its Web site.
Fasano, one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award given to the nation's top tight end, said he made up his mind to turn pro after Ohio State beat the Fighting Irish in the Fiesta Bowl.
Fasano said the most difficult part of leaving is that the Irish hope to compete for a national championship next season. They finished this season ranked ninth, their highest since 1993, and return most of the key players from a record-setting offense.
"I think that was one of the things that really held me back from saying I was definitely going," Fasano said. "I came here to win a national championship, and I didn't do that. We have an opportunity next year, but personally I think the best decision was to leave at this time."
Sims gave up his final year of eligibility amid worries about a career-ending injury, and became the second Seminoles defensive player in two weeks to say he is leaving school early for a shot at the pros. He joins cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who missed the 2005 season with a knee injury.
"It's been my dream since I've been a little kid," Sims said. "Not a lot of people get a chance to play in the NFL."
Sims made 198 tackles in three seasons, two as a starter. He finished fourth on the team with 70 stops this season, including four in Florida State's 26-23 Orange Bowl loss last week to Penn State. Sims has been troubled by nagging injuries as well as concussions, missing a game at Duke in October.
"If I did come back, I would risk not being able to play again," he said. "I might get injured."
Lee, an all-Big East Conference wide receiver for the Panthers last season, is unlikely to be chosen in an early round. He caught 49 passes for 962 yards and seven touchdowns last season, down from his sophomore totals of 68 catches for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns in former coach Walt Harris' offense. Harris was replaced last season by Dave Wannstedt, who installed an offense that relies more on the run.
Simpson and cornerback Johnathan Joseph will be giving up their remaining two years of eligibility with the Gamecocks.
Simpson, a sophomore named a third-team AP All-America last month, led South Carolina with 103 tackles this season and had one interception. He said he started thinking about turning pro around midseason.
"This only comes once in a lifetime," Simpson said. "I think, basically, in two years I did probably what all I could do at USC. ... I just followed my heart and thought it was best."
Joseph led the Gamecocks with four interceptions this season and finished with 55 tackles. The redshirt sophomore started two games in 2004 before he broke his foot in the first quarter against Georgia.
Quillen, married with two children, is the first Louisiana-Monroe player to leave early for the NFL since cornerback Pat Dennis departed after the 1999 season.
Quillen caught 32 passes for 514 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2002 but missed the 2003 season with a knee injury. He bounced back to lead the Indians with 44 catches for 758 yards and seven touchdowns in 2004.
Morris, a 6-foot-6, 327-pound offensive tackle, started 11 of the 12 games he played in for the Wolfpack this season. McCargo, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound defensive tackle, had at least one tackle for a loss in each of the seven games he played in this season, including four against Clemson.
source : ASSOCIATED PRESS
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