KeiVarae Russell told Sports Illustrated‘s Pete Thamel Monday that he will not wait for the NCAA to consider his option for a fifth year at Notre Dame and will instead seek to be drafted by an NFL team.
Russell told Thamel:
“I’m back on track as far as progressing as a player. I’m ready to fulfill my dream and help out my family and do other things I wanted to do in my life.”
Senior cornerback KeiVarae Russell is helped off the field during Notre Dame’s 19-16 victory over Boston College. Russell was diagnosed with a broken tibia. (Photo by Caroline Genco / The Observer)
The senior cornerback, who missed the 2014 year because of academic dishonesty, still has a semester remaining to receive his management consulting degree. Russell told Thamel he would not have returned to Notre Dame if he had not planned on finishing his degree at the university.
Russell is still recovering from a fractured tibia that he suffered during the Boston College game on Nov. 21. The Everett, Wash. resident said he will be only taken part in the interview portion of the NFL Combine day in February.
“I will be healed in the next few days, but I want to be able to perform at my best with the same amount of training (others will have). … I want to get back to where I was and I feel like when I come back, I’m going to come back stronger.”
Expect to see Russell back on campus in March when Notre Dame holds its annual pro day for NFL scouts.
Thanks @NDFootball and @CoachBrianKelly for everything. I'm leaving, but grateful for my time at @NotreDame https://t.co/U5aCpOeNhM
— Keivarae Russell (@Keivarae1) January 4, 2016
Notre Dame graduate, class of '02 (the Davie years!). A former newspaper and TV reporter, andrewwinn is now professionally involved in something far less fun to discuss than college football. A dad, a husband and a wannabe data nerd.
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