TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama junior linebacker Rolando McClain announced Monday that he would enter the 2010 NFL Draft. The Butkus Award winner was a 2009 team captain and led the Crimson Tide in total tackles in each of the last two seasons.

McClain was a unanimous first-team All-American this season and started at linebacker for Alabama the last three years. The Decatur, Ala. native is just the second Crimson Tide player to win the Butkus Award, joining Derrick Thomas (1988).

Quote from Head Coach Nick Saban
“Rolando McClain has been as great an ambassador for the University of Alabama probably as anyone ever has in terms of how he’s represented himself, his family, the university, the state of Alabama and our team. That’s not only in terms of being a great football player – probably the best defensive football player in the country, in my opinion, or one of them, and certainly at his position – but he always did things right. He’s done a great job academically. His leadership had as much impact on our team and our team’s success since he’s been here in the last three years – even in his freshman year – as anyone that I’ve ever been associated with. And we appreciate that.