Indiana football player opts to join Barstool Sports over declaring for NFL Draft: 'This is my thing'

After playing six years astatine Indiana University, Mike Katic has decided to enactment his NFL dreams to the side.

After initially declaring for past year's NFL Draft, past returning for his last twelvemonth of eligibility, the erstwhile halfway has decided to articulation Barstool Sports arsenic a media property and analyst.

"I’m pumped. This is what I deliberation I was calved to do," Katic said connected "The Yak" with Dan "Big Cat" Katz. "Football’s great, but I deliberation this is my thing. So, I’m ace excited to determination successful here."

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Indiana's Mike Katic (56) hoists the Old Oaken Bucket aft a crippled against Purdue astatine Memorial Stadium Nov. 30, 2024. (Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Katic doesn't commencement officially moving until March 1, but helium paid a sojourn to Jon Gruden, who was precocious hired by the site, astatine Barstool's offices. And they had astir arsenic overmuch of a greeting arsenic 1 would foretell from a Super Bowl champion manager and a six-year assemblage star.

"Barstool’s got our caller halfway and I already emotion him!" Gruden said connected X portion posting a video of their archetypal interaction.

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Immediately aft shaking hands, Gruden asked Katic to get into his lineman stance, and the 2 shared different handshake and hug.

"When [Gruden] tells you to get successful a stance, you get into a damn stance!" Katic posted connected X.

Katic seemed to hint his playing days were implicit aft the Hoosiers' College Football Playoff nonaccomplishment to Notre Dame erstwhile helium posted connected X, "Thank you Indiana University. Thank you Football."

Indiana OL Mike Katic (56) during a crippled against the Louisville Cardinals Sept. 16, 2023, astatine Lucas Oil Stadium successful Indianapolis.  (James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Katic was apt to beryllium a late-round enactment if helium had been taken astatine all. Pro Football Focus graded Katic arsenic the 10th champion halfway successful the Power Four conferences.

Katic said helium was hired rapidly aft Dave Portnoy saw him successful "three clips doing media" aft being connected done a subordinate of the Hoosiers' men's hoops team.

Indiana's Mike Katic (56) celebrates with the Old Oaken Bucket aft a crippled against Purdue astatine Memorial Stadium Nov. 30, 2024. (Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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The Pittsburgh autochthonal volition enactment retired of Barstool's Chicago bureau aft playing successful 50 games for the Hoosiers.

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