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Florida S Marcus Maye declined draft invite to walk at graduation

Marcus Maye (20) won’t be in attendance when his name is called in Philadelphia. (Getty)
Marcus Maye (20) won’t be in attendance when his name is called in Philadelphia. (Getty)

Florida safety Marcus Maye has a great reason for not being in attendance at the NFL draft this weekend.

He’s graduating from Florida.

Maye, a likely early-round selection in the 2017 draft, declined an invitation from the NFL to be in Philadelphia when his name is called. He told Florida’s website that he wanted to watch the draft with his family, and also complete something no one else in his family has done.

“If I make a promise to anybody I want to follow it through — and this one was to my mom,” said Maye, who completed work toward a degree in African American Studies and will make that unforgettable walk (with Mom in the house, of course) Saturday morning. “No one in my immediate family has graduated from college. The fact she wanted me to do that — not just play football, but also graduate — has been in the back of mind and knowing that the last year has always been a motivation for me.”

Maye should be one of the first members of a talented Florida draft class chosen in the three-day draft. He had 50 tackles in nine games in 2016. He had 77 tackles and two interceptions in 2015. His former Florida teammates LB Jarrad Davis, DT Caleb Brantley and CB Teez Tabor will also probably be selected by teams.

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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!