Clemson's Shaq Lawson declared for draft early to 'get it off my chest'
It was one of the least shocking announcements of the past month, but the shocking thing about Shaq Lawson declaring for the 2016 NFL Draft was his timing.
Typically, players wait until after bowl season to make their pledge. The Clemson All-American defensive end, however, just wanted to get it out of the way.
"I wanted to get it off my chest," Lawson told ESPN's Sam Khan from the Lombardi Award ceremony in Houston. "I had my mind made up a couple weeks ago. I just didn't want it to be a distraction during the regular season. I feel like I'm ready to make that next step."
From the four teams remaining in the College Football Playoff, Lawson is the only player to declare.
This season, the junior accounted for 9.5 sacks and recorded an FBS-leading 22.5 tackles for loss.