Jan. 14--Ellis McCarthy, a reserve defensive lineman for UCLA, declared for the NFL draft.
McCarthy made the surprising announcement on Twitter on Tuesday evening. He spent three seasons at UCLA, during which he battled weight problems and knee injuries.
He has had arthroscopic surgery on both knees.
The 6-foot-5, 330-pound McCarthy was a backup nose tackle who also played defensive end at times. He had 21 tackles and three sacks this season.
