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FOR USE AS DESIRED
ADDITIONAL
UNDERCLASSMEN GRANTED ELIGIBILITY The National Football League announced today the names of nine players who have been granted special eligibility for the 2004 NFL Draft as a result of a recent federal court ruling. These players submitted written notification to the NFL prior to a March 1 deadline that they have renounced their college football eligibility. On January 19, 41 players were granted special eligibility under the league’s three-year eligibility rule (three football seasons after high school graduation). Following the federal court ruling on February 5 in the Clarett case, underclassmen who did not meet those eligibility requirements were given the opportunity to apply for the 2004 draft. The NFL established the following procedures for such players seeking to enter the draft: 1. Any players seeking to enter the draft had to submit a completed Special Eligibility form to the NFL office no later than Monday, March 1. Such players had a 72-hour window after March 1 during which they could withdraw their petition for eligibility. 2. Players were not permitted to bypass the March 1 deadline in order to seek eligibility for a later supplemental draft, and no supplemental draft will be held to accommodate such an election. 3. The March 1 deadline for players seeking to enter the draft did not apply to those players who were previously eligible to apply for the draft by January 15 but elected not to apply. The 2004 NFL Draft will be held on April 24-25 in New York City. The following players renounced their college football eligibility and were granted special eligibility for the 2004 NFL Draft today:
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