Penn State defensive tackle Austin Johnson to forgo senior season, enter NFL Draft

Penn State junior defensive tackle Austin Johnson told a scrum of reporters that he had elected to forgo his final season in college and enter the NFL Draft.

The announcement came after Saturday’s 24-17 TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Georgia, and after Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg made the same announcement in the same fashion.

Johnson also released a statement via Twitter:

“After much thought and consideration with my family, I have decided that the best decision for me is to forgo my senior season at Penn State. I want to thank Nittany Nation for your support over the last three years. My love for Nittany Nation will be with me always.

“I want to thank all of the coaches who have helped me throughout my college career. I would like to thank Coach Joe Paterno and Coach Larry Johnson for opening the door for me to attend Penn State and thank you to Coach Bill O’Brien for being the rock of the program in a time of need. I would also like to thank Coach James Franklin and Coach Sean Spencer for supporting me to excel in my position.

“Last but not least, my Wild Dogs and the rest of my teammates. Thank you for always being there for me. I will carry my pride as a Nittany Lion with me always. It’s been a hell of a ride boys love you guys.”

Johnson was seen after the game in an emotional embrace with best friend and teammate, defensive tackle Anthony Zettel.

“Yeah, the main one is Z, that’s my guy, that’s my boy, so that’s rough,” he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Hugged it out a little bit, didn’t let go for a while. I’m going to miss that dude.”

The 6-foot-4, 323-pound defensive tackle received his results from the NFL Draft Advisory Board and is projected to be drafted in either the first or second round.

This story was originally published January 2, 2016 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Penn State defensive tackle Austin Johnson to forgo senior season, enter NFL Draft."