Boston College junior linebacker Luke Kuechly announced his intention to declare for the 2012 NFL Draft in a press conference on Friday night, deciding to forgo his senior season at BC and pursue his dreams of playing in the NFL.
"It's tough to end one thing and start another," said Kuechly. "It was a really tough decision. The biggest thing for me was talking to my family."
A teleconference to announce Kuechly's decision regarding the NFL Draft was scheduled at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Friday night, according to a press release from the school sent out around 6:30 p.m. the same evening.
Kuechly played three seasons at Boston College, amassing a school and Atlantic Coast Conference record 532 career tackles. Kuechly led the nation in tackles last season, both total (191) and solo (102). In addition, Kuechly had a streak of 33 straight games with double digit tackles snapped in the Eagles' season finale against the Miami Hurricanes.
For his remarkable performance in 2011, Kuechly received the Bronko Nagurski Award (honoring nation's top defensive player) and the Butkus Award (honoring nation's top linebacker). He also received the Lombardi Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy, among other honors.
Kuechly is projected to be a top 15 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
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