The first official early entrant to the 2016 NFL Draft has chosen his representation.
Myles Jack, whose season was ended by a knee injury that led to his withdrawal from UCLA, has signed with Octagon Sports. His agent will be former NFL player John Thornton.
Jack’s departure from school drew attention for several reasons. Jack initially said he decided to leave school and focus on his pro career with the blessing of UCLA coach Jim Mora, but Mora later made comments that surprised Jack.
And though Jack is certainly not the first player to have his mind made up about leaving college for the NFL well before the league’s annual January deadline, his withdrawing from school in October left people wondering if more players will follow suit -- or start skipping entire seasons of unpaid football.
Jack is a likely first-round pick as a linebacker next spring.
“When you see people making money off of your likeness and your name ... nobody else wears No. 30 at UCLA. That jersey is mine,” Jack said. “I would like to receive compensation for what I’ve done. That’s definitely something you’re thinking about. I took all of that into consideration.
“I felt like it was time. I felt like I had done enough at UCLA, and I felt like this was my chance. This was my shot. Why not go for it? And really just focus on football. Focus on myself. Focus on my body. And just really get that knee back so I can get back 1,000 percent. That’s my goal.”
