Justin Houston heads to NFL
All-SEC outside linebacker Justin Houston will skip his senior season at Georgia to enter the NFL draft.
Houston announced his unsurprising decision Saturday, deadline day for underclassmen to declare for the draft.
“It was a very hard decision to make, but in the end I had to do what’s best for my family and me,” Houston said in a statement.
He became the second Georgia junior to enter this year’s draft, joining wide receiver A.J. Green. Three other UGA juniors who seriously considered the draft –- cornerback Brandon Boykin and offensive linemen Cordy Glenn and Trinton Sturdivant -– decided to stay in school.
Houston is rated the draft’s No. 26 overall prospect by Scouts Inc. Draft analysts generally peg him as a late first-round or second-round pick.
Houston had 10 sacks and 18 ½ tackles for loss this past season, ranking second in the SEC behind Auburn’s Nick Fairley in both categories. Houston’s 20 career sacks rank seventh on the UGA list.
A graduate of Statesboro High School, Houston was named first-team All-SEC this past season by both the media and the coaches.
In his statement Saturday, Houston thanked Georgia’s coaches and fans.
He said he “would not be where I am today” without coach Mark Richt, who “has helped me grow from a boy to a grown man.” And he added: “Thanks to all of the fans who were behind us the whole time I was in Athens.”
Richt had hoped Houston might stay for his senior season, several times making the point that all of the Georgia juniors considering early exits except Green would have a chance to significantly improve their draft stock by waiting another year to turn pro. Green is projected as a likely top-five pick.
Houston “is a great person and great player, and we’ll miss him,” Richt said in a statement Saturday. “We wish him nothing but the best as he moves into this next phase of his football career, and I’m certain he’ll be successful.”
On what proved to be his final play in Sanford Stadium, Houston intercepted a pass — the only interception of his college career — to clinch the Bulldogs’ 42-34 victory over Georgia Tech on Nov. 27.
With Houston’s decision, Georgia loses four key linebackers from its 2010 team. Seniors Akeem Dent and Darryl Gamble completed their eligibility, and junior Marcus Dowtin was released from his scholarship to transfer to another school.
– Tim Tucker, UGA blog
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189 comments Add your comment
Paul N Destin
January 16th, 2011
11:59 am
Quick Quiz. The Ole BallCoach said….What happens to all those All American HS players that UGA signs every year (close). Did he really mean the following
1-Ray Goff was a terrible coach
2-HS football in GA is overrated
3-Honda makes better cars than GM
TheChickenShack
January 16th, 2011
12:14 pm
Farmer Dell
January 15th, 2011
9:51 pm
Nobody thought AJ or JH was coming back, these 2 are 1st round NFL ballers. But, kept all the other guys, that could have bolted (Boykin, etc.)
Also, UGA is D-E-E-P at LB:
rOBINSON, wASHINGTON, J JONES, SAMUEL, FALOUGHI, ALSO GOT STRIPLING & MORANT. RAY DREW, ALSO HERRERRA…..
^^^^^^^^^
This
Mike
January 16th, 2011
12:38 pm
I’m glad he’s gone, our defense sucked, he was overated anyway. Maybe now with him gone we can get some better players in here that will perform.
THE TRUTH
January 16th, 2011
1:21 pm
HAHAHA! This sh!tty UGA team just got sh!ttier.. Somehow this is Nick Fairley’s fault!! He is sooo mean an sooo dirty!!
Dawgster2
January 16th, 2011
1:38 pm
Buh bye, thuggo.
RomeDawgSux
January 16th, 2011
2:34 pm
Rome,
So playing football and making $$$ is the pinnacle of human existence?
DANG! Did you tell all those doctors, nurses, teachers and other “nobodies” that they blew it?
You don’t make $Millions and play NFL football either, do you? So I guess you’re a lowlife sumbetch as well, huh? GFY
still a dawg fan
January 16th, 2011
3:06 pm
I wish him luck in the NFL if he makes it. Sure he had a lot of sacks & tackles for loss but most of those were against the likes of tenn,la tech,id st,& vandy,Whenever we played a good team he always had a habit of disappearing like he did against SC,FL,AUB,MISS ST,ARK & UCF.He especially disappeared against AUB because those 2 tackles for AUB dominated him the whole game. He didn’t get close to CN. In reality he was a decent player on a very bad defense.Once he goes to the combine the NFL PEOPLE WILL SEE THAT HE IS NO MORE THEN A 2ND DAY PICK.If anyone could have helped himself by coming back for another year it would have been JH. Instead of being a 2nd day pick in the 4th,5th or 6th round he could have waited & made a WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY by being a 1st or 2nd round pick next year.
Farmer Dell
January 16th, 2011
3:21 pm
Houston will be missed, but losing 4 lb’s means instant playing time for sme new recruits. Might get Ray Drew now, might also get James Vaughters.
stan
January 16th, 2011
3:57 pm
some of you bloggers are funny. if you had the chance to make a lot of cash. at another job for security for your family .you would bolt in a second. so spare us the loyalty crap please.
first tier program
January 16th, 2011
5:23 pm
There goes 1 more nail in CMR coffin.
Mountain Dawg
January 16th, 2011
5:31 pm
WGAS?
Urban Myth
January 16th, 2011
6:53 pm
Maybe he, Farley and Cam will learn how to read since they never learned how in college!
Dawghater
January 16th, 2011
9:19 pm
Why stay for another 6-7 season!
Farmer Dell
January 16th, 2011
9:23 pm
If ANY of you actually thought for a second that AJ Green or Justin Houston were coming back, whenh Scout and ESPN has them both getting drafted in round 1, you just don’t know how talented these 2 guys were. Coaches did a great job coaching them up to become a 1st rounder.
Nate
January 16th, 2011
9:38 pm
So our best defensive and offensive players are gone from a 6-7 season but next year will be better. ok.
junkyarddawg
January 16th, 2011
10:14 pm
Don’t let the door hit you in the @ss! That’s over, let’s move on and go find some players that WANT to be DAWGS!!!
still a dawg fan
January 16th, 2011
10:48 pm
Farmer Dell,
You are right about AJ but you are way off about JH.Mark my word ,he will be a 2nd day pick in the NFL Draft. Everytime we had a big game JH would disappear.Big time players are supposed to perform in big time games not disappear. Another year would greatly benefit JH which could lift him into the 1st or 2nd round.Remember he was a decent player on a bad defense
UGASlobberknocker
January 17th, 2011
7:44 am
Jarvis and Samuel really need to step up at LB ;
dawgfacedboy
January 17th, 2011
8:46 am
Dawg- practice squad sitting the bench as a 1st rounder??? Wrong. Ellerbe is an undersized 3rd or 4th rounder. Big difference. Either way he’ll put more money in his pocket than most people on this blog will make in a lifetime.
Take a multi-million dollar contract or come back to school. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm…
Farmer Dell
January 17th, 2011
9:01 am
Wrong, what a goof. JH is picked to go #23 by ESPN, and #23 by Scout. He’s a 1st rounder slam dunk and will dominate at the next level.
Farmer Dell
January 17th, 2011
9:07 am
You must be confused, not Aaron Murray, I agree he choked in every big game: SC, Ark, Miss St (2 td’s total), Florida (3 int’s/fumble), UCF (2 int’s).
Not Justin H, if you want the UGA guy who chked in the big games and will never go pro, look for #11.
Farmer Dell
January 17th, 2011
9:18 am
McShay has Houston as a 1st rounder. Kiper rated Houston as #2 OLB and predicts he’ll thrive in the 3-4 at OLB in the NFL. Rams scout gave Houston #1 grade as a defensive player coming into the draft.
Charliecole
January 17th, 2011
9:25 am
sec news at http://www.secsportsworld.blogspot.com
Mr. SEC
January 17th, 2011
9:28 am
Money wins again over the integrity of the person! I’ve read many of the post, and I agree with most of the comments. I picked you as the ONE that should had entered early (even over A.J.) his career was tainted. Statements he made about staying for the fans who didn’t get their monies worth from him this season was right, but it was also a stupid of him to make those statements when he knew all along he was leaving; (he left a scar beside his name and now he he is just another name, unfortunately like you)! But, you kept silent and I respect that of you, but both of you had the opportunities to go down in Ga., SEC, and NCAA history, which both of you will go down now as just 2 guys who played at UGA; many will not agree with me, but it is reality! I do wish you the best in the NFL, and I hope that neither of you will forget where you came from in the the future. I looked forward to watching you every Saturday, (I loved your agressiveness on defense,and when A.J. got to play, I like watching the his catches, not in the bowl game though)! Both of you compliment the UGA Nation now, but what about 5 years from now. Again, I wish both of you the best; to me, and I’m a nobody, I just know football and the meaning of “committment”! Bottom line, both of you short changed UGA for money, you slapped a school in the face that made an all out committment to both of you to come to UGA, in this YOU FAILED!
Obivious, collegiate sports is all about getting to the pros as fast as possible and the hell with an education, a sadmessage to send to your kids.
P-Cola Dog
January 17th, 2011
9:43 am
wrong decision in this case. upper to mid first round next year vs 2nd round this year. contract and pay day would have been significantly different. Are the personal and family situations of these young men really so dire they can’t delay 12 months to get paid?
Joe
January 17th, 2011
9:52 am
No way Justin goes Pro now, unless NFL pretty much told him he’s a lock for the 1st round. He’s going in the 1st round, only question is where? He’ll probably go int the 20’s. Grab a $30 million contract. Can’t blame the guy.
Mike
January 17th, 2011
9:53 am
I’m going with McShay’s opinion over what a couple of hack bloggers here think. McShay talked with the NFL Scouts, and I think he has Houston at #21 first rounder.
greg
January 17th, 2011
1:54 pm
Good Luck Houston!!! Now Rambo needs to leave school for other reason.
dawg2
January 17th, 2011
2:22 pm
Good lucky young man…Hope the Falcons get you..So in peace and never look back.
shankit
January 17th, 2011
3:14 pm
WDE – You need to get on the Birmingham News
and defend your school against all them Elly Fants
giving ya’ll a hard time. Such as “Auburn will go
down with Colonial Bank and Victory Land in 2011.”
Stinger
January 17th, 2011
8:19 pm
Will the Army send him to Iraq????????????
Stinger
January 17th, 2011
8:23 pm
The good news is Greene and Houston are leaving. The bad news all the others are staying. LMFAO
NeNe
January 17th, 2011
9:22 pm
No titles, no degree sounds like a recipe for the Pancake House.
Join the rest of the class.
NeNe
January 17th, 2011
9:28 pm
Ill have flat stack, bacon, biscuits and gravy for 100 please.
Buck Blew
January 18th, 2011
11:15 am
Good riddance. Who needs quitters like him. Honor your commitment!!
Gatormeat
January 18th, 2011
6:15 pm
Can’t blame him, if I were stuck in the cesspool that is athens I would get the heck out of there as fast as I could. He should have come to Gainsville and been with a winner and he would have learned some character also. Something you will never learn in athens
dawgssniffbutts
January 18th, 2011
6:34 pm
Isn’t this one of the guys who has been arrested? What is that number up to now – 12 in 2010?
Headlinin’: Justin Houstin goes, John Brantley stays in the SEC East | kazukilund
January 19th, 2011
5:01 am
[...] • We hardly knew ye. As expected, Georgia linebacker Justin Houston is shunning his senior season to take his act to the NFL draft after leading the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss and earning some All-America notice as a junior. Houston can play off the ball as an outside linebacker or put his hand down as a defensive end – he played a DeMarcus Ware-like hybrid role in 2010 under former Dallas Cowboys assistant Todd Grantham – but is likely to fall toward the bottom of the first round in a class loaded with quality pass rushers. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] [...]
Jason
January 20th, 2011
10:26 am
Get ready to be A Saint