Jan. 10, 2008
Watch Official Press Conference
Wide Receiver Earl Bennett:
Opening Statement:
“First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for coming out and sharing this moment with me. After thinking weeks about the situation, talking it over with my family, my coaches, friends, and close relatives, and mainly just talking to God and asking him to guide me in the right way throughout this process, I have decided to skip my senior year to make myself eligible for the 2008 NFL Draft.”
“I’ve had a great three years at Vanderbilt. There’s nowhere else I would have rather been in these three years.”
“I thank Coach Johnson and his staff for continuing to recruit me even when I was committed to Kentucky. I want to thank them for allowing me the chance to come in here and help this program and to continue to build on it.”
What were the pluses and minuses that you evaluated?
“I weighed different options. If I came back, there was always the risk of getting injured. There were a lot of plusses and minuses, and I felt like after talking to God and asking him to guide me in the right way, I couldn’t go wrong if I came back or left because Vanderbilt is a fine university. I had great teammates and there are great players. Vanderbilt is going to do big things next year. I just sat and talked to God and asked him to guide me in the right way. That was the ultimate factor.”
What did the NFL tell you about your draft status?
“They came back, and Coach (Bobby) Johnson and I sat talked about it. Their information was not the ultimate decision that made me decide to forego my senior year.”
When did you first realize that you were going to pursue the NFL?
“After the season. During the season, I had no thoughts of the NFL. I was just trying to help the team go to a bowl game. That was my number one goal. I was trying to do all I could, whether or not I was injured. Even with nagging injuries, I was still out there trying to play to help the team go to a bowl game. After the season, I sat down with my mom, dad, and Coach Johnson to go through the entire process and the paperwork.”
What do you say to people that said you had the chance to be the greatest receiver in NCAA history with records in reach, but you decided to pass it up?
“It’s not all about records. It’s about character and how you carry yourself on and off the field. I felt like Vanderbilt University and my coaches helped me mature into the man I am today. Hopefully, people will remember me by my character and not my outstanding ability on the football field.”
Was it tough to tell Coach Johnson your decision?
“Yes. I love Coach Johnson. He’s always been there by my side with anything I needed help with, whether it was on or off the field, or in the classroom. It was a tough decision to tell him because I love being around him. He’s a great guy, and I thank him a lot for allowing me to come here and play.”
What will you remember most about your Vanderbilt career?
“That would have to be when we beat Tennessee. I’ll remember that the most. It was a great game. It’s been a couple of years since we beat them, but that stands out most because it was a team victory.”
What do you have to do in the coming weeks and months to make football a business?
“I have to get focused on the entire process. I have to think about who I’m going to hire as an agent and where I’m going to train and work out. It’s like a second season in the NFL: everyone wants to see if you can run, jump, and lift weights. I have to prepare myself mentally and physically for that process is the next step for me.”
Coach Johnson said you are a great ambassador for Vanderbilt. What would you tell a recruit that’s looking into Vanderbilt?
“He should come. This is a great university. There is no other place I’d rather be. It’s a fine institution with great academics, coaches, and facilities. You can’t go wrong, and you’re playing in the SEC against some of the top players in the nation. If you come here, you’ll play against the best and be on national television, front and center. It’s a great atmosphere at Dudley Field with the fans. They’re crazy. It was a great atmosphere.”
Head Coach Bobby Johnson:
“We’re certainly sad to see him go in a selfish point of view, but we’re also very thrilled for Earl. We think it’s a great opportunity.”
“I’m very pleased with the process Earl has gone through and the way he’s thought through the whole thing. This was not a spur of the moment decision. Earl did a fantastic job of weighing all the plusses and minuses and finding out what was best for him and his family. After he went through that type of process, we feel very strongly about supporting him in every way we can.”
“It goes without saying that Earl Bennett was a fantastic football player for us and a fantastic ambassador for Vanderbilt football. You go through and look at the way he has represented our program in every way, you couldn’t ask for anymore from Earl Bennett. We’re going to wish him the very best. We’re going to help him in every way we can.”
“This is one of the great things about America. You’ve got choices to make. I have no doubts that Earl will be a fantastic football player in the NFL. I look forward to watching him, and I’ll have another excuse to watch NFL football.”
