Ga Tech WR Johnson declares

[Dozerdog]

Updated: Jan. 8, 2007, 7:06 PM ET
Johnson to forgo senior season, enter draft


Associated Press

ATLANTA -- For Calvin Johnson, this was a no-brainer. Georgia Tech's star receiver announced Monday that he will give up his senior season to enter the NFL draft, fully aware that he should be one of the top players selected. Kiper's Big Board Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest Top 5 on his Big Board for the 2007 NFL Draft: 1. Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech 2. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame 3. Joe Thomas, T, Wisconsin 4. JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU 5. Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas Even his parents, who are adamant that he get his college degree, knew there was no use putting off the pros any longer. "It's one of those situations where he's got to maximize the moment," Calvin Johnson Sr. said. "These opportunities don't come along very often. He made the right decision for himself. He didn't feel a lot of pressure from us." Almost from the day he stepped on campus, the younger Johnson was expected to last only three seasons with the Yellow Jackets. It was immediately clear that he was a rare combination of size (6-foot-5, 235 pounds), athleticism and hand-eye coordination. He runs a 4.4 40-yard dash and has a 45-inch vertical leap -- a combination that makes him difficult to defend, even with a scheme keyed to stop him.