Baton Rouge, LA

LSU All-American safety Eric Reid has announced that he will forego his senior year and enter the NFL Draft, stressing "this is the right time to make this decision".

Aside from Reid, linebacker Kevin Minter, cornerback Tharold Simon, running back Spencer Ware and punter Brad Wing earlier announced their intention to leave LSU and join the NFL draft.

"I've been very fortunate and blessed to have been able to play football at LSU," Reid said in a statement issued by the university. "It was always my dream to go to LSU and play football.

"I want to thank Coach (Les) Miles and all of the people that played a role to get me to this point in my life. This was a very difficult decision because I always wanted to be a Tiger and I love LSU," he added.

Reid, who is two semesters shy of graduating, said that he will continue to pursue his degree during the offseason.

In three years with the Tigers, Reid played on teams that won 10 or more games all three years, including last year's 13-1 squad that captured the Southeastern Conference title and reached the BCS National Championship Game. Reid's three-year record at LSU was 34-6.

In his final season, Reid started all 13 games and finished third on the team in tackles with 91. He had seven pass breakups, two pass interceptions, one tackle for loss and recovered a fumble for an LSU defense that ranked among the best in the nation.

Reid earned was a consensus All-America in 2012 after earning first-team All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America and the American Football Coaches Association. He was also a first-team All-Southeastern Conference pick from both the media and the SEC Coaches.

For his career, Reid played in 39 games, starting 29 times. He finished with 194 career tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and six interceptions. Reid was named one of five permanent team captains for LSU in 2012.

LSU defensive ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo are widely expected to leave for the NFL while defensive tackle Bennie Logan and running back Michael Ford are still weighing their options.

 

 

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