CARDINALS

U of L safety Sample to declare for NFL draft

Jonathan Lintner
@JonathanLintner

For the second straight season, the University of Louisville's football program will have to replace both its starting safeties.

A day after Gerod Holliman announced on Twitter his intention to enter the 2015 NFL draft, confirming a Bleacher Report dispatch from December, James Sample did the same on his Instagram page.

"To all my family, friends and most important to the thousands of die hard card fans, I have decided to forgo my senior season and enter the 2015 NFL Draft," Sample wrote. "I know it's been short but I have enjoyed the 4 months at UofL. Much love to all the cards fans #Gocards bird gang for life."

The California native started out at Washington in 2012 and played a season of junior college ball before transferring to U of L for the 2014 season -- his junior year.

Sample tallied four interceptions — second on the team behind the redshirt sophomore Holliman's 14 — while leading U of L with 90 total tackles, 74 of them solo.

NFLDraftScout.com rates Sample as the 15 th -best strong safety of 114 eligible. Holliman's outlook is potentially brighter, as the website lists him as the No. 1 of 108 free safeties leading into the draft.

U of L has yet to confirm either of the departures, with cornerback Charles Gaines also a candidate to leave early. Underclassmen must officially declare by Jan. 15.

This year's U of L safeties will follow 2014 first-rounder Calvin Pryor and Hakeem Smith, who went undrafted but signed with the Tennessee Titans. Again, the Cardinals' defensive backfield will be open to a number of position battles.