Kentucky RB Boom Williams leaving school early for NFL draft

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Kentucky running back Stanley ''Boom'' Williams is turning pro. Williams announced after the TaxSlayer Bowl on Saturday that he plans

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Kentucky running back Stanley ''Boom'' Williams is turning pro.

Williams announced after the TaxSlayer Bowl on Saturday that he plans to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. He said he finalized his decision Friday and told coach Mark Stoops after the game, a 33-18 loss to Georgia Tech.

''There were a lot of things that played into that,'' Williams said. ''It wasn't an easy decision. It was very tough. I was stuck in a hard place in whether I wanted to come back or whether I wanted to leave. At the end of the day, we came to the decision to leave for the NFL.''

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A 5-foot-9, 196-pound junior from Monroe, Georgia, Williams ran 11 times for 35 yards against the Yellow Jackets. He had a team-leading 1,170 yards rushing this season and seven touchdowns.

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