New Indiana football head coach Kevin Wilson wasn’t attractive enough for junior wide receiver Tandon Doss to return for his senior season.
Doss, an Indianapolis native from Ben Davis High School, announced Monday that he will forego his final year at Indiana and enter his name into the 2011 NFL Draft.
“I would like to thank Coach Lynch, Coach Billy Lynch, all my coaches, the training staff and the support staff,” Doss said. “I also wish Coach Wilson and his staff the best of luck. I know they will do a great job. Lastly, I want to thank all the Indiana fans for their support. I hope all of you will continue to follow me as I move on to the NFL.”
Instead of finishing up his junior year this spring semester, Doss will train down south in Florida in preparation of the 2011 NFL Draft April 28th-30th.
This is a tremendous loss for the Indiana offense. Not only is he a terrific guy with great character, but he also was a standout receiver that earned first team All-Big Ten two years in a row.
His production cannot be replaced. It will take multiple guys to try and fill his void.
During the 2010 campaign, Tandon Doss led the Big Ten and finished fourth nationally with 175.8 all-purpose yards per game. He closed out the year with 63 receptions, 706 receiving yards, seven touchdowns, 1,016 kick return yards, 163 rushing yards and 49 punt return yards. That’s a lot of damage for the season.
Not only was he senior Ben Chappell’s favorite target, but the opposing team would intentionally punt away from Doss.
Tandon was unranked nationally coming out of high-school according to Rivals.com and was given just a two-star rating. So much for rankings.
His stock is about as high as it will get. With Ben Chappell graduating, there are questions at quarterback and it will be a new system since Bill Lynch’s firing.
And you cannot forget about the injury situation. Doss battled multiple injuries last season. One big injury could kill his dream forever…and that’s a costly mistake.
Ultimately, it may have come down to the financial situation and the fact that it is too good for him to pass up.
“While my experience at Indiana was great, my decision came down to the fact that I could not pass up the opportunity to start my professional career,” Doss said. “Entering the NFL Draft was the best decision for myself, and most importantly, my family. My experience at IU was great and helped lay the foundation for my future. I can assure you that I will work hard and represent Indiana University in a first-class manner.”
It is hard to fault a guy that took the program seriously and worked hard day in and day out to make himself and those around him better.
Cheers to another quality player representing Indiana University in the NFL.