Auburn's Lemonier entering NFL draft

Published Dec. 31, 2012 9:11 p.m. ET

foxsports

Auburn defensive end Corey Lemonier is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Lemonier said Monday it was a tough decision but the one ''that was best for me and my family.''

Lemonier had 5.5 sacks last season after earning coaches' first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors with 9.5 sacks as a sophomore.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn says Lemonier ''is a class act and we wish him nothing but the best as he pursues his dream to play professional football.'' He praised Lemonier's contributions both on and off the field.

The 6-foot-4, 246-pound Lemonier played in 34 career games, making 24 starts. He finished his Auburn career with 98 tackles, 17 sacks, 24 tackles for loss and 33 quarterback hurries.