Jan. 5, 2012

ATLANTA – Georgia Tech junior wide receiver Stephen Hill announced today that he will forego his senior season of eligibility and enter the NFL draft.

Hill caught 28 passes for 820 yards in 2011, helping the Yellow Jackets to and 8-5 record and their 15th consecutive bowl bid. Hill, who caught five touchdown passes including one against Utah in the Hyundai Sun Bowl, led all FBS players in yards per reception (29.3).

“This was a life decision,” said Hill, a Lithonia (Ga.) native. “I came to the decision after talking with my family. I’m ready to move forward and work on getting better.

“I want to thank the coaching staff for helping me get to this level. I am thankful for Georgia Tech, my professors and definitely, the fans.”

Hill was on the preseason watch list for the Biletnikoff Award. He was named the ACC Receiver of the Week on Sept. 6. Phil Steele’s publications named him third team All-ACC.

“Stephen feels that he is ready for the NFL and I know that is a dream of his,” head coach Paul Johnson said. “I hope that he is drafted high and does well as a professional.”

“I love Georgia Tech,” Hill said. “I am going to miss my teammates and I wish them well next season and beyond. I hope they bring home an ACC championship next season.”

Some of Hill’s on-the-field achievements:

— He finishes his three-year career with 1,248 receiving yards, which ranks 16th in Georgia Tech history.

— For his career, Hill averaged 25.47 yards per reception, which would have easily broken the school record, but he fell one reception short of qualifying for the record book (minimum 50 receptions).

— His nine career touchdown receptions rank 14th in Tech history.

— Hill had three career 100-yard receiving games with all three of those efforts coming in 2011.

— He had 820 yards this past season – the 13th-most single-season receiving yards in Tech history.

— Hill averaged 29.3 yards per reception in 2011, the highest average by any player in the FBS and the highest in school history, breaking the old record of 25.1 yards per reception by Demaryius Thomas in 2009.

— Hill owns three of the 24 longest receptions in Georgia Tech history, including an 82-yarder in 2011 against Western Carolina that ranks sixth all-time.