By Zac Jackson
FOX Sports Ohio
January 5, 2010
We officially have an Ohioan leaving college early for the NFL Draft.
He's just not a Buckeye.
He's Cincinnati native and Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph, who made it official Wednesday. In a statement, Rudolph said "it has...been a dream of mine to play in the National Football League and so I will forgo my final season of eligibility at Notre Dame and enter my name for the 2011 NFL Draft."
Rudolph, a graduate of Elder High School, might be the top tight end prospect in the draft. A torn hamstring cut his 2010 season short after six games, but he'd done enough in two previous seasons to catch the eye of the NFL. Rudolph totaled 90 receptions for 1,032 yards and eight touchdowns in 29 career games at Notre Dame.
The deadline for underclassmen to enter the draft is Jan. 14. Several Ohio State players will face a similar decision in the coming days.
Rudolph, listed by Notre Dame at 6'6, 265, ranked in the top 10 in single-season receptions by a tight end in school history, catching 29 passes as a freshman, 33 as a sophomore and 28 in 2010 before the injury.
"Notre Dame is such a special place and because of all the people I met over the last three years this decision was very tough for me," Rudolph said. "I truly feel I have grown up here and this has become a home away from home for me."
His health will obviously be monitored closely by NFL teams in the coming months and at February's NFL Combine. There's positive precedent for his situation as tight end Rob Gronkowksi missed his final season at Arizona due to injury but has a been a big part of the Patriots' success this season.
"Kyle Rudolph has a very bright future ahead of him and he will instantly make some lucky NFL team much better next year," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said in the statement. "I know this was a tough decision for Kyle because of the great relationships he formed at Notre Dame and he will be missed in the locker room next year. But we are happy for him and his family and are excited to watch him represent the University of Notre Dame during this next chapter of his life.
"Kyle is a terrific talent and I enjoyed coaching him this year. He made some incredible plays for a guy his size. Who will ever forget that 95-yard touchdown play against Michigan? When I recruited Kyle as a high school senior in Cincinnati, I knew he was a special player, but over the last year I witnessed what a great person he is, too. I look forward to seeing him around campus in the future and watching him on TV from my office on Sunday afternoons."
