Farris to Leave UCLA Early for NFL Draft

Kris Farris, UCLA’s Outland Trophy-winning tackle, announced Wednesday he will bypass his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

Farris, a fourth-year junior, said the decision came after six months of contemplation and that “I went over so many pros and cons, it was ridiculous.”

But in the end, he said, he had met his goals of winning the Outland and being named All-America and All-Pacific 10 Conference.

Another factor was that many of his closest friends on the team, especially on the offensive line, were leaving as seniors.

“Injury wasn’t a big concern,” Farris said at an on-campus press conference in which he thanked his family and numerous UCLA coaches and staff members. “You can always get an insurance policy. I just felt this is the best time for me to leave. I’ve closed a chapter and it’s time for me to move on.

“I don’t feel like I belong here anymore.”

Said Coach Bob Toledo: “I think he’s very sincere in that it took him a while to come to his decision. I tried to help any way I could. He was real good about it. He took his time and made a decision.”

Farris admitted it was a back-and-forth process.

He had indicated after the Dec. 5 Miami game that he was leaning toward coming back for his senior season, then reiterated that feeling days before the Rose Bowl.

A series of phone calls with NFL people at that time found a consensus that Farris would be picked late in the first round or early in the second.

Mixed in with the emotions of the two season-ending losses was the thrill of winning the Outland Trophy.

That provided an indication Farris was ready for the pros and meant he reached a major goal, but also, he said, generated additional excitement for him about staying in college.

By the time the Rose Bowl was over, though, he had all but decided.

The final step was to discuss his intentions with his parents over the weekend.

“I viewed the Rose Bowl as a determining factor,” Farris said, referring to the matchup with Wisconsin’s star defensive end, Tom Burke. “There was a lot of pressure on me. I knew if I played a good game that it was time to move on, and I thought I played a good game.”

The decision is another blow to the Bruin offensive line. Center Shawn Stuart and right guard Andy Meyers just completed their senior seasons.

That leaves right tackle Brian Polak and left guard Oscar Cabrera as the only returning starters.

David Wilford is the top candidate to replace Farris, but he is not alone. Blake Worley, whose play on the scout team while redshirting last season impressed coaches, and Josh Webb could also challenge for the job.

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The 1998 Holiday Bowl had the highest television rating ever for a college bowl game broadcast on ESPN, Holiday Bowl officials said.

The Dec. 30 Nebraska-Arizona matchup in San Diego recorded a 6.0 on the national television rating system, which translates to about 4.6 million households across the country.

The previous record was set in 1996 when Washington-Colorado produced a 5.5 rating.

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Ohio State receiver David Boston made it official Wednesday, saying he’ll pass up his senior season to make himself available for the NFL draft.

Running back Shaun Alexander, Alabama’s leading rusher, said he would remain in school for his final season, but West Virginia’s “Famous” Amos Zereoue, the Big East’s career rushing leader, will come out a year early.

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Idaho assistant Dionicio Monarrez Jr. is being fired for his involvement in a drunken melee after the Vandals’ 42-35 Humanitarian Bowl victory over Southern Mississippi.

School President Robert Hoover said the second-year defensive line coach was notified Tuesday that he will be on administrative leave through the end of his contract in June and the contract will not be renewed.

The termination decision was made after Boise police said they would not file charges against Monarrez for what they initially said was his apparent attempt to obstruct officers trying to break up the disturbance in downtown Boise early last Thursday.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.