LSU's Kary Vincent Jr. opts out of 2020 season
Kary Vincent Jr. becomes the second LSU player to opt out of the 2020 season due to safety concerns regarding COVID-19.
The senior defensive back will begin preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft, he announced on Twitter.
Vincent posted the following message to his Twitter account Monday around noon CT:
"First, I would like to thank Coach Orgeron, the coaching staff and LSU for helping me mature and develop as a player and a person, both on and off the field. Winning the national championship last year was something that I will cherish forever and the experiences of the 2019 season proved to me just how important team work, leadership, and being selfless is to the success of an organization.
"The LSU fans are the greatest in the world. There's nothing more exciting and fulfilling than putting on the purple and gold uniform and performing in Tiger Stadium in front our great LSU fans.
“With thoughtful prayer and lengthy discussions with my family, we feel that is is in my best interest to opt out of my final year at LSU and begin training for the NFL Combine,” Vincent said in a statement he posted to Twitter. “I have worked long and hard for the opportunity to play in the NFL. I’m humbled and excited about attacking this next challenge with humility, integrity, and dignity and I will always be Forever LSU.”
Vincent played in 14 games with eight starts in the 2019 season. He was second on team in interceptions with four. He racked up 44 tackles, two tackles for loss and 13 passes defended to his credit during the Tiger's historic run last year.
The dual-sport athlete also participated in track and field during his time at LSU. He ran wind-aided 10.07 in the 100 meters at the LSU Invitational to finish the season ranked No. 11 in the NCAA for 2019 while also leading off for the 4x100 meter relay that ran the 14th fastest time in NCAA history with a 38.37 at the NCAA Championships.
Defensive lineman Neil Farrell Jr. was the first LSU player to opt out earlier this month after his family was hit hard by the coronavirus.
LSU head coach Ed Orgeron spoke about Farrell's decision on Fox News last week: "We had one player opt out because his grandma got sick at home, and he wanted to go spend time with them, but the majority of our football players want to play. ... We feel like we have a great team. ... We're not blinking. We're preparing to play. We're preparing to win."