Quinton Jefferson Declares for 2016 NFL Draft: Latest Comments and Reaction

Maryland Terrapins defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson is going pro.

The redshirt junior announced on Twitter that he will forgo his senior season and enter the 2016 NFL draft.

Jefferson tweeted out this note Thursday:

The 6'3", 289-pound lineman from Pittsburgh is one of the feel-good stories entering the draft this year. He played only three games in 2014 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Jefferson returned in 2015 to have the best season of his career, tallying 6.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss while playing 11 games.

Suffering the torn ACL put life into perspective for Jefferson, a father of three children (one-year-old twin daughters and a four-year-old daughter). Former Maryland head coach Randy Edsall told the Baltimore Sun's Don Marku back in March that he knew Jefferson would become more of a leader this season.

"You can just see how much he's developed and he's grown since he's been here," Edsall said. "He's really taken a hold of the responsibilities of being the leader and leading that group and also being a leader of the team."

CBS Sports projects Jefferson to land in the sixth or seventh round. Whichever team drafts him will be getting a guy who is playing for more than just a chance to be in the NFL. It looks as though it will be getting a guy who's committed to doing anything for his family.