Vanderbilt WR Bennett joins NFL draft
From NCAA College Football Information & Resource
January 14, 2008
Vanderbilt wide receiver Earl Bennett is the latest underclassman to forgo his final year of eligibility to enlist for the NFL draft.
Bennett, the all-time leading receiver in the Southeastern Conference, has caught 236 passes in three seasons as a Commodore. He finished this past season with 75 receptions for 830 yards and five touchdowns.
"If I came back, there was always a risk that I could get injured," Bennett said. "There were a lot of pluses and a lot of minuses. I couldn't go wrong with my decision whether I came back or whether I left."
Bennett caught 28 more passes than Craig Yeast, who played four seasons at Kentucky, to establish a new league record this season. He was just 81 receptions away from breaking the NCAA Division I Bowl Subdivision reception record set by the 316 of Purdue's Taylor Stubblefield.
Bennett has career totals of 2,852 receiving yards and 20 scoring catches, with his best collegiate game coming in the 41-17 win over Richmond where he had 13 receptions for 223 yards and three touchdowns.
Sources
- Sports Network "SEC's all-time leading receiver declares for draft". The Sports Network, January 10, 2008
- Associated Press "Vanderbilt wide receiver Earl Bennett headed to NFL". ESPN.com, January 10, 2008
