Indiana Hoosiers junior running back Jordan Howard will forgo his senior season and is applying for early entry in the 2016 NFL Draft, according to ESPN's Brett McMurphy.
"After much thought and prayer, I have decided to forego my final year of eligibility to pursue my lifelong dream of playing in the NFL. My success to date would not have been possible without God and the support of family and countless people," Howard said in a statement, via the team's website. "I'd like to thank my parents, Dr. Reginald Howard (deceased) and Flora Williams for their unyielding and unwavering support over the years. My sincerest thanks to all of my coaches and teammates at Indiana University and the University of Alabama-Birmingham."
The transfer junior running back rushed over 1,213 yards and scored nine touchdowns in his first season with the Hoosiers. Howard had an impressive sophomore season at UAB as well, rushing for 1,587 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. Howard has proven he can be a dual threat out of the backfield playing at Indiana, as he had over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The university wished him the best of luck in his future in the NFL via the team's Twitter account. Howard was unable to finish the season with a knee injury, and it's remarkable to think he rushed over 1,200 yards while missing four games this year. Injuries may concern NFL franchises over taking Howard, but his play at two different universities has clearly shown that he is a talented running back. It will be interesting to see where Howard falls in the draft, but he is likely to go in the later rounds with the amount of talent at running back in the 2016 NFL Draft.
