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Injured Florida safety Marcell Harris declares for draft

Published Jan. 11, 2018 11:16 p.m. ET

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Marcell Harris, the Florida safety who tore his right Achilles tendon in late July and missed all of last season, is forgoing his final year of eligibility and entering the NFL draft.

Harris announced the decision Thursday on Instagram, saying he "became strong mentally and gained different perspectives of the game that I may have never seen" while sitting out.

A fifth-year senior from nearby Orlando, Harris played in all 13 games in 2016. He had a team-high 73 tackles to go along with two interceptions and a sack. He appeared in 37 games in three seasons at Florida.

He could have petitioned the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility, but chose to pursue an NFL career.

Harris is the fourth Florida player to leave school early this season, following defensive tackle Taven Bryan, receiver Antonio Callaway and kicker Eddy Pineiro.

Defensive Cece Jefferson and left tackle Martez Ivey announced last week they will return to school for their senior years.

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