COLLEGE FOOTBALL

USC’S JARRETT WILL ENTER NFL DRAFT

Dwayne Jarrett, the leading receiver in school history, announced yesterday he will skip his senior season at Southern California to enter the NFL draft.

“The biggest thing was the challenge. I’m ready to compete on the next level,” Jarrett said at a campus news conference, choking up as he talked about leaving.

When he began to sob quietly, his mother, Camille, stepped to the podium and hugged him.

“My teammates, without them I couldn’t have done any of this,” he said.

LSU’S JAMARCUS RUSSELL ENTERING DRAFT

LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell said yesterday he’ll skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

“It kind of hit me toward the end of the season that I was going to make that jump,” Russell said at a news conference.

After a standout performance in the Sugar Bowl last week, the 6-foot-6, 257-pound Russell had been expected to declare early for the draft.

Russell, a native of Mobile, Ala., threw for 6,525 yards and 52 touchdowns in three seasons with LSU, two as a full-time starter. He threw for 332 yards and two TDs in the Sugar Bowl to help the Tigers (11-2) beat Notre Dame 41–14.

TENNIS

VENUS WILLIAMS WITHDRAWS FROM AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Venus Williams withdrew from the Australian Open yesterday because of an aggravated left wrist injury.

She joins top-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne on the sideline for the first Grand Slam of the season.

Williams told organizers she aggravated the wrist, which kept her from playing in the Hopman Cup mixed teams competition in Perth last week.

BASEBALL

MULDER STAYS WITH CARDINALS, ACCEPTING $13M, 2-YEAR DEAL

Mark Mulder is staying with the St. Louis Cardinals, agreeing yesterday to $13 million, two-year contract.

The 29-year-old left-hander, recovering from rotator cuff surgery, is expected to miss the first half of next season. He also had been negotiating with the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers.

-Associated Press