Former Vanderbilt WR Chris Boyd to Jump to NFL in 2014

Chris Boyd won't play for another college after being dismissed from the Vanderbilt football team earlier in 2013. Instead, he'll declare for the 2014 NFL Draft after finishing up his degree at the Nashville campus.

Boyd, a popular All-SEC sleeper pick coming in to the season, was removed from the program after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of being an accessory after the fact to an alleged rape that took place on campus. According to court documents, Boyd helped four teammates - Brandon Vandenburg, Corey Batey, Brandon Banks, and Tip McKenzie - erase evidence of an alleged sexual assault that took place inside a Vanderbilt dorm room. In return for his plea, Boyd avoided jail time and potential felony charges. He is expected to testify against his former teammates at their upcoming trials.

According to an interview with NFL.com's Chase Goodbread, Boyd had considered transferring to Wisconsin or Penn State before deciding to go pro. He would have been able to play immediate since he will be graduating in four years at Vanderbilt. However, he'll take his chances in this spring's NFL Draft and hope that the skills he showcased in a 50-catch redshirt sophomore season will be enough to overshadow the massive mistake he made off the field this summer.

Boyd also suggested that he'll have an invitation to participate at Vanderbilt's Pro Day, a showcase of the team's talent for league scouts:

I'll participate there at pro day. All the feedback I've gotten from my coaches and stuff, it seems like they'll let me participate in pro day. That would mean the world to me.

- Chris Boyd

The former Vandy wideout also suggested that he's looking forward to giving his side of the story regarding that fateful summer night when the time arises.