Drew Made His Decision After Loss of Grandfather

Although UCLA running back Maurice Drew made it official on Saturday, his decision to give up his final season of eligibility in favor of the NFL was actually made the day his grandfather died four months earlier.

Drew, who lived with his grandparents growing up in Northern California, was close to his grandfather, Maurice Jones, who suffered a heart attack while watching his grandson play against Rice at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 10.

Drew reached the hospital before his grandfather died and remembered conversations the two had during the summer.

“That was something he and I talked about earlier,” Drew said during a conference call about his decision to declare himself eligible for the NFL draft. “I wasn’t worried about it, [I] wanted to make sure that this season went well.

“My grandmother told me after the USC game [Dec. 3] that he had told her that he wanted me to go to the NFL.”

In a statement, UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell said he supported Drew’s move to leave school early.

“Maurice has made the decision that he feels is best for himself and his family,” Dorrell said. “While I would counsel players to enjoy the college experience and earn a degree, I am supportive of his decision to move onto the next stage of his life.

“Maurice is a great young man and he has been a joy to coach for the last three years. He has been a key component in the rebuilding of this program. He was a major contributor to our success this season and we thank him for his contributions, both on and off the field. He will always be a Bruin.”

Drew, who led UCLA in rushing three consecutive seasons, had 39 touchdowns in 36 games, including four on punt returns and two on kickoff returns. Sixteen scores were at least 40 yards and his 4,655 all-purpose yards is a school record.

Drew, a first-team All-American as an all-purpose player, established a Division I-A record with a 28.5-yard punt return average in 15 opportunities this season.

He also rushed for 914 yards and 13 touchdowns for No. 16 UCLA, which finished the season 10-2 after defeating Northwestern in the Sun Bowl.

In his final game, Drew suffered a mild left shoulder separation returning a kickoff in the first quarter against the Wildcats. He finished with only 14 rushing yards to go along with two catches for 29 yards and one punt return for 20.

“We will miss Maurice, but we have Chris Markey, Kahlil Bell and Derrick Williams in the program,” Dorrell said. “Chris and Kahlil showed what they are capable of during the Sun Bowl.” Markey gained 161 yards in the Sun Bowl and Bell had 136 yards and two touchdowns.

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is Jan. 15.