LSU OT Jerald Hawkins Has Declared For The NFL Draft

LSU junior left tackle Jerald Hawkins will forego his senior season and declare himself eligible for the 2015 NFL Draft, according to a message he released on Instagram Wednesday.

quote:

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hawk3ye65: After much thought and prayer with my family, I have decided to bypass my final year of eligibility and pursue a career in the NFL. These years at LSU have been nothing short of amazing but I feel I am ready for the next stage in my athletic career. I first want to say thank you to my coaches ,and teammates for their support and friendship. To all the fans who made this such an amazing place to play, I want to encourage you to continue to fill the stands because this team has an amazing future and you guys and your support means everything.
This team and this school means everything to me. I'm so proud of what we were able to accomplish together this year, including a great win in the Bowl. I'm honored to be able to call myself a LSU TIGER for the rest of my life. This is not a goodbye but a thank you for the moments and memories that will be with me for a lifetime!

Thank you,
Jerald Hawkins

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Hawkins, a talented lineman from Baldwin, La moved from right tackle to left tackle for his junior season. Many believed that this would be Hawkins last season at LSU and that he would declare for the draft this year.

The deadline for other underclassmen to declare for the draft is Jan. 18th.