Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall announced he will forgo his senior season and enter the 2008 NFL Draft. During a press conference at his former high school, Niles West in Skokie, Ill., Mendenhall made official what most people had been speculating.

Mendenhall’s decision to go pro comes after the junior tailback led Illinois to its first Rose Bowl birth since the 1983 season. On the way, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year broke the Illinois record for all-purpose yards with 1,999. Mendenhall also helped the Illini to lead the conference in rushing.

Head coach Ron Zook had said earlier in the week that he expected Mendenhall to try his luck in the NFL.

“We all know he’s a first-round talent,” Zook told the Chicago Tribune.

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