Report: David Amerson to leave early for NFL

NC State junior cornerback David Amerson has decided to leave school early for the NFL Draft, according to Darren Heitner, the founder of SportsAgentBlog.com and a sports business writer for Forbes.

"NC State Junior CB David Amerson will enter the NFL Draft," Heitner posted on his twitter account. "Faxing papers to NFL.

"NC State's David Amerson not done interviewing agents. JT Johnson of Atlas Sports Agency in running," he wrote in another post.

The star defender has at least tied for the ACC lead in interceptions in each of the past two seasons, and the 18 picks he has collected over the past 25 games stands as a school record, while it is tied for the third-best total in ACC history.

Amerson started nine of the team's 13 games as a true freshman in 2010, but exploded onto the national scene last year, when he garnered All-American honors after he led the country with 13 interceptions. That mark set an ACC single-season record, and stands as the second-highest mark in FBS history. In addition to All-ACC and All-America laurels, the 6-foot-3, 194-pound cornerback won the Jack Tatum Award, which is annually given to the top defensive back in the land, and was also a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.

The Greensboro, N.C., native got off to a rough start in 2012 against Tennessee, but rebounded to earn second-team All-ACC honors and finished with five interceptions, to go along with a career-best 12 pass break-ups. He stepped in front of a pass against Boston College and returned it for a 55-yard touchdown, his third career pick that was returned for a score, which also tied a school record. He finished the year ranked sixth on the team with 61 tackles, while his interception total was tied for the ninth-most in the land.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. recently named Amerson the No. 4 junior cornerback in the country. He is expected to be taken in the first three rounds of April's NFL Draft, although it wouldn't be a surprise to hear his name called as early as the first round.

In addition to 18 career picks, Amerson finished his three year stay in Raleigh with 39 games played, 35 starts, 170 tackles, 18 pass breakups and one forced fumble.