USM coach says WR Brown will go pro

Published Dec. 30, 2010 11:54 p.m. ET

foxsports

Southern Miss receiver DeAndre Brown has informed coach Larry Fedora that he plans to declare for the NFL draft.

Brown, a 6-foot-6, 239-pound junior, missed much of the past season because of a lower leg injury, catching 16 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns.

A highly recruited receiver from Ocean Springs, Miss., Brown had a spectacular freshman season in 2008, catching 67 passes for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns. But he broke his leg in the final game of the season, and has rarely been healthy since.

Fedora says he met with Brown's family, and that ''we support DeAndre's decision and wish him nothing but the best in the future.''