Tuesday, January 8, 2002
Hawaii junior wide receiver Ashley Lelie said yesterday he is now "50-50" on whether to make himself available for this spring's NFL Draft. Lelie still undecided
By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com"I'm right in the middle," Lelie told the Star-Bulletin. "I thought I would have a decision, but I still haven't made one."
The third-team All-American has returned to Hawaii from Christmas vacation at his parents' home in South Carolina. He said he has to decide about the draft by Friday in order to get necessary paperwork to the NFL.
During his record-breaking season last fall, Lelie consistently leaned toward remaining with the Warriors for the 2002 season.
He is still consulting with his father, Rene, UH coach June Jones and others.
"I'm talking to a lot of people for input," he said.
Lelie said an NFL committee that projects where a player might be drafted told him he would likely go in the second round. The draft is April 20-21 in New York.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Lelie has run the 40 in under 4.3 seconds. He is UH's career leader in receptions (194), receiving yards (3,341), and touchdown catches (32).
He also broke several school and conference single-season marks last year, and was named first-team All-Western Athletic Conference.
The 1998 Radford High School graduate is on track to graduate this summer with a degree in history. He has said staying at UH next season for graduate school would help him toward a goal of eventually becoming a history professor.
Lelie has an insurance policy against a career-ending injury based on future earnings if he does not turn pro next season.
Hawaii slotback Jeff Sydner left school after his junior season for the 1992 draft. He was picked in the sixth round by Philadelphia and played three years for the Eagles.
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