More than 86,600 Texas A&M football fans saw Christian Covington crush Aggie quarterback Johnny Manziel in an Aug. 2013 meeting.
On the road with the Rice University Owls at Kyle Field in Station College, TX, the 麻豆传媒映画College product and six-foot-three, 295-pound sophomore defensive tackle sacked the polarizing passer known as Johnny Football for a loss of seven yards. It was one of only 19 sacks allowed on Manziel that season. The Owls lost the game 52-31.
On Friday, Covington 聽he would forgo his senior season with Rice to instead declare his eligibility for the 2015 NFL Draft, which will be held in Chicago April 30 and May 1.
鈥淭he decision for me to leave was not an easy one, but through a lot of prayer and the help of my family, my decision to declare became clear,鈥� Covington said in an announcement released by the university Jan. 9.
Playing in the Conference USA of the NCAA FBS, Rice hasn鈥檛 produced a top-40 pick since 1989, according to a .
Covington, wrote a senior analyst at the outset of the season, 鈥渋s a quick, upfield penetrator who stays light on his feet with the fluid hips, natural flexibility and easy movement skills to attack gaps and disrupt the backfield.鈥� A downside was his habit of lowering his gaze, which risks losing sight of the ball, continued the analysis.
鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 be a surprise if Covington earns top-40 grades from NFL scouts,鈥� meaning he could be called in the first few rounds of the draft.
Covington鈥檚 younger sister and Little Flower Academy alumna, Asianna, competes for Div. 1 University of Georgia in the discus. They grew up in Surrey and their father, Grover Covington, is in the CFL Hall of Fame and was the most outstanding defensive player in 1986 when the Hamilton Ti-Cats won the Grey Cup.
The younger, pious Covington thanked the entire Rice coaching staff and his teammates. 鈥淵ou truly impacted my life,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thank my teammates for the bonds and memories that I will never forget, and I thank the friends I have made who will remain a part of my life for years to come.
鈥淚 am truly grateful for the opportunity Rice gave me to pursue my dreams and will forever remember the achievements that we made as a team that will surely go down in Rice football history.鈥�
The same year he took down Manziel, Covington anchored a Rice defense that helped the Owls win their first conference title in 56 years. He finished his university career with 119 tackles, including 23 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks while forcing four fumbles, breaking up four passes and blocking two kicks. Covington was a three-year starter after red-shirting his first year and is slated to graduate in May.
