Before this week, no Boise State football player had ever left school early for the NFL.
Now two Broncos have.
Junior cornerback Orlando Scandrick has declared for the NFL Draft and signed with an agent, he told the Idaho Statesman on Thursday night. Scandrick joins left tackle Ryan Clady as the only Broncos to leave school with eligibility remaining for the NFL.
"It was a tough decision. I felt I was ready to accept a greater challenge," said Scandrick, who started all but one of his 39 games in three seasons at Boise State.
Scandrick, a 5-foot-11, 196-pounder from Los Alamitos, Calif., said he made the decision a couple of days ago.
Scandrick said he received a fourth-round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee, which gives underclassmen (non-seniors) information about their draft status. The grade is a projection, not a guarantee.
Joe Linta, Scandrick and Clady's agent, said he told Scandrick to be prepared to be selected in the sixth or seventh round. Linta said he asked Scandrick if he would be comfortable with being picked that late.
"I wanted him to assume the worst," Linta said. "I did not advise him to come out and I did not advise him to return to school. I was neutral. I wanted him to make sure he was comfortable with his decision."
After careful consideration, which included talks with Boise State coach Chris Petersen and secondary coach Marcel Yates, Scandrick opted for the NFL.
He said he felt good about the fourth-round grade.
"It can go either way," Scandrick said of his projection. "I'm not going to worry about it. I'm just going to go to the combine and run good times and test well."
Petersen, who was not available for comment Thursday night, said several times in the past weeks that he felt Scandrick, who never earned All-WAC honors, would be better served returning to school for another year.
"He's never redshirted. He's young anyway, even next year. He's getting better all the time, no doubt. Even the pro people, if there's any gray area, prefer the kids to stay in college," said Petersen.
Scandrick and Clady will work out at TEST Sports Clubs in Martinsville, N.J., in anticipation of the NFL Scouting Combine in late February. Both players will return to Boise in March to participate in Boise State's pro day.
Scandrick had 50 tackles (three for loss), two interceptions, two forced fumbles and four blocked kicks this season. He injured his thumb in the regular-season finale against Hawaii, had surgery and played in the Broncos' Hawaii Bowl loss to East Carolina. He finished his career with 152 tackles, four interceptions and seven blocked kicks.
Scandrick said he would remember the Broncos' Fiesta Bowl victory and a team sleepover at Bronco Stadium during fall practice the most from his Boise State career.
"(The toughest part) was letting go of the whole Boise State thing and the teammates and the whole college experience," said Scandrick, who said he told Boise State players Jeremy Childs, Ellis Powers and Kyle Wilson about his decision.
Scandrick was on pace to graduate in December and will take correspondence courses to earn his degree in communications.
The loss of Scandrick leaves the Broncos with another big hole in the secondary, where Boise State must also replace All-WAC safety Marty Tadman. Sophomore Brandyn Thompson is the leading candidate at the cornerback spot opposite Wilson.
Clady, a junior All-American left tackle, told the Statesman on Tuesday that he would leave the Broncos for the NFL. Linta said Thursday that Clady could be among the top 10 picks in April's draft.
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