The opportunity to be an early-round pick was just too great for Arrelious Benn, who stood up in front of his family, girlfriend and reporters Wednesday and announced his intent to forgo his senior season and declare for the 2010 NFL Draft.

New Illinois offensive coordinator Paul Petrino sat down with Arrelious Benn on Monday and gave the star receiver his best pitch to persuade him to stay in school and not bolt to the NFL.

“I showed him a list of all the receivers I’ve coached and what their stats were and how many catches they had and how many yards they had,” said Petrino, who coached Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White to a breakout year in 2007.

“I did everything in my power to sell him, but it’ll still be something he’ll have to look at and see what’s best for himself.”

But the opportunity to be an early-round pick was just too great for Benn, who stood up in front of his family, girlfriend and reporters Wednesday and announced his intent to forgo his senior season and declare for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Benn is a projected first-round pick by most experts. If those predictions ring true, Benn will be the third Illinois junior in as many years to leave school to be drafted in the first round, following in the footsteps of Rashard Mendenhall and Vontae Davis.

“It would speak on the program,” he said. “I want to keep the tradition here going, build our reputation, put us back in the winning ways where we should be.”

Benn also made a promise to his mother that he would finish school. He said he is about 20 credit hours away from graduation.

His girlfriend of two years, former Illinois basketball player Chelsea Gordon, said she envisions the two spending summers in Champaign and Benn taking online courses in order to finish his degree.

“He’s going to get it done,” Gordon said. “He’s really, really committed to his academics.”

But Benn’s main concern, aside from his last final at 2 p.m. on Thursday, is with his future as a professional athlete.

“They say the curve for rookie receivers is pretty tough as far as getting the reps and learning the playbooks and speed of the game and the timing and stuff, that’s going to be the part that I want to get going with when I get to the league,” he said.

Benn’s older brother, Trulon Henry, said he tried not to meddle with his brother’s decision.

“Your little brother, you kind of just let him live. We’re not little kids anymore, you can’t pull him around and tell him what to do,” said Henry, who just finished his sophomore season of football at the College of DuPage.

“He makes good decisions. He’s very smart and very mature. I trust him on any decisions he makes. And if he makes a mistake, as a brother I’m here to catch him, pick him up off the ground.”

Henry went to the College of DuPage after serving more than four years in prison for robbing a grocery store. He said he will make a decision about what school he will transfer to before Christmas. He has received an offer from Illinois and said he may take a visit to Indiana this weekend.

While Benn said he would have liked to play with his brother at Illinois, he said he’ll “see him soon” in the pros.

The former All-Big Ten receiver said he has filed the necessary paperwork with the NFL and is waiting for feedback. He said he is in the process of hiring an agent.

He’ll continue his journey from inner city Washington, D.C., where he grew up, when he participates in the draft combine in February in anticipation of the April 24 draft.

“Along the way were many bumps in the road. Growing up in inner city D.C., not having a father around, my mom doing the best to raise five sons,” Benn said.

“I thank God for watching over my family and giving us the strength to get through the tough times, and now I have a great opportunity to take care of my family.”