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Standout DE Selvie Will Return To USF

The Associated Press

As a sophomore, Selvie had 14.5 sacks, was a consensus All-American and was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

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By BRETT McMURPHY

bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

Published: January 7, 2009

TAMPA - University of South Florida junior defensive end George Selvie didn't hear what he expected from the NFL Draft Advisory Committee, so he will return to USF for his senior season.

Information provided by the draft committee indicated Selvie "would not be selected" in the first three rounds, USF coach Jim Leavitt told Selvie.

"Leavitt told me they didn't have me going as high as we thought," said Selvie, USF's first two-time All-American.

Two months ago, Todd McShay of ESPN and Scouts Inc., who ranked Selvie as the nation's third-best pass rusher, and Michael Detillier of M&D Draft Report both projected Selvie as a mid-to-late first-round choice.

"It was kind of surprising and disappointing," Selvie said. "Now it makes me want to work even harder for next season.

"I can work on getting bigger, stronger, using better technique; just getting better overall. I talked to a lot of people, including my family, prayed on it and took a lot of things into consideration. This was the best decision."

As a sophomore, Selvie had 14.5 sacks, was a consensus All-American and was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

Last year, Selvie suffered a high ankle sprain in USF's fourth game at Florida International. It plagued him all season. He missed parts of three games, but finished with 5.0 sacks and earned All-Big East honors.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Selvie said he will use the projection as motivation.

"We didn't reach all of our goals this year," Selvie said of USF's 8-5 season. "Next year, our senior class, we have to go through the whole season strong. We can't get up to No. 10 or No. 2 and then fall back."

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