Cornell Makes Right Call

Anyone scouring their local newspaper for UConn information during the last week of Winter Break probably found a one-paragraph blurb buried on the inside about Cornell Brockington declaring for the NFL Draft. Like many of you, I immediately said something along the lines of "What? Cornell Brockington? What?" And then you stared blankly at the news for five minutes trying to figure out if there was another Cornell Brockington, playing for the Huskies, who was actually a big enough star to skip his senior year. It wasn't a different Cornell Brockington. It was the same guy who had 85 carries and 337 yards rushing - third on the team. For the record, D.J. Hernandez, a quarterback that played in four fewer games, had just 51 fewer yards.

If the news wasn't shocking enough for you, maybe what I say next will be. Brockington 100 percent made the correct decision. Look, we all knew either Brockington or Terry Caulley was going to be left out in the cold this season - I wrote as such in my first column this year. Two running back situations very rarely work out in favor of both backs. Caulley clearly became the favored back, with 141 more carries, and by the end of the season redshirt freshman Lou Allen, who began the year as the starting fullback, had established himself as a formidable runner.

Brockington wasn't going to play next season. Caulley is likely still going to lead the team in carries, Allen is only going to get better and both Matt Bonislawski and Hernandez are solid running quarterbacks.

So Brockington's decision came down to two questions: Do I transfer schools and try to establish myself in one season elsewhere? Or do I go to the NFL combine, attempt to put up some good numbers and hope for a mid to late round selection? If Brockington were to transfer to another Division I-A program he would have to sit out a year - removing him one more year from his Big East leading 1,218 yards in 2004. Transferring to a Division I-AA program, probably an Atlantic 10 team since he's from New Jersey and they are the best I-AA conference in the region, would be the most viable option. He could walk right into a starting job, rush for 1,500 yards and earn all-conference honors, but would that help his draft stock any? Some Division I-AA players earn high draft spots, but usually only after proving themselves at the combine anyway. You might as well just skip that year against sub-par talent and dedicate yourself to getting under 4.5 seconds at the combine.

And yes, I realize Brockington is a student and by declaring for the draft he is giving up, at least for the time being, on earning a degree. Cornell Brockington is a football player, he's not going to be curing cancer. That's not to say he's unintelligent, in fact it's just the opposite. He's smart enough to realize what he's good at and pursue it to the highest level. I wish I had that conviction.

Head coach Randy Edsall discussed Brockington's decision last week, saying Brockington had entered some game film to the NFL to be evaluated, and apparently heard good feedback. I assume that film was from 2004. While it would be ludicrous to say Brockington declaring now is the optimal decision, he was put in a tough spot. It would be equally ludicrous to say that Brockington is ready to be an NFL back, but that doesn't mean he didn't make the decision that was best for him.