RB Slaton to enter draft
Rich Rodriguez is not the only person who won't be returning to West Virginia next season.
Mountaineers star running back Steve Slaton announced Sunday that he will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.
"I called the NFL about two weeks ago, and they told me I was assessed a second-round selection," Slaton said. "I waited to make this public until I was able to get back to Morgantown and talk with coach (Bill) Stewart today."
Slaton rushed for 1,051 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior, his third straight season over 1,000 yards. He finished his West Virginia career with 3,293 yards and a school-record 50 touchdowns.
"We won a lot of games during my time here at West Virginia, and I have made a lot of great friends and have a lot of good memories," Slaton added. "I wish the players and coaches nothing but the best in the future."
Stewart, who was named West Virginia's coach the day after the Mountaineers defeated Oklahoma 48-28 in the Fiesta Bowl, could not argue with Slaton's decision.
"The average career of an NFL player is 3.2 years, so you better get all you can get in your signing bonus," Stewart said. "I support all our players' decisions 100 percent."
Rodriguez resigned as West Virginia coach last month to replace the retired Lloyd Carr at Michigan.
