Christian McCaffrey came to an inevitable conclusion when considering the decision of whether to come back to Stanford for his final season of eligibility or make the jump to the NFL.
"I'm ready," he said Wednesday at a press conference at Stanford. "I think I'm ready. My body is in the position it needs to be in to go out there and play at the next level. I've had some success in my college career, but after talking to Coach (David) Shaw, talking with my dad (Ed), talking with a lot of other mentors in my life, I just thought, 'I'm ready to go.'"
College football historians will almost certainly disagree with McCaffrey's self-evaluation of his career as achieving "some success." Shaw expressed a strong opinion on what McCaffrey accomplished.
He described McCaffrey's Heisman runner-up 2015 season as, "The best singular year in the history of college football. There is no debate about it. What he's done here at Stanford is jaw dropping. It's awe inspiring. It's up there with Andrew Luck, John Elway and Jim Plunkett -- guys that have done phenomenal things."
McCaffrey admitted he hasn't been able to step back and put into perspective what he accomplished the past two years. Shaw said it may not be possible to put the dynamic athlete's college career into proper context until years later.
McCaffrey said getting started on fulfilling his dream of playing in the NFL -- which he described as his goal since he was 6 -- was too much to pass up. While McCaffrey chases his dream he leaves behind a highlight reel of nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators that spent years trying to stop him.
No opposing coach in the PAC-12 is sad to see McCaffrey leave, but neither is Shaw, except for different reasons.
"He wasn't disappointed," McCaffrey said of when he told Shaw. "I think that's a testament to the character that he has and the man he is. I went in there and shared it with him, and we had a conversation, and he was right there with me and unbelievably supportive. At the end of the day he cares more about us than he does himself and his success. That's a testament to the kind if guy he is and the coach he is. When you can look him in the eye and he supports you in a tough decision, that's when you know you have an awesome head coach."
Shaw said he was not surprised by McCaffrey's choice because ultimately it was the logical one to make.
"You look at the decision and the reason why you'd leave and for me it's a financial decision," he said. "Can a young man like this who is highly regarded, can he raise his stock? And the answer is no."
Looking ahead to the NFL draft and where he fits on the field in professional football, McCaffrey was open to any possibility while confident he can do everything that's asked of a running back. And about the debate of when he may hear his name in the draft?
"I have no idea and that's for them (NFL teams) to decide," he said. "It takes one team. Whoever wants me I'd love to play in the NFL, wherever it is."
McCaffrey didn't receive input from the NFL draft advisory board, but he reached out to a number of people he trusts, including former teammates such as Kevin Hogan and Austin Hooper. He also spoke to Toby Gerhart.
He decided to announce his decision now so that the media coverage leading up to the Sun Bowl matchup with North Carolina wasn't focused on whether he'd come back to Stanford.
And when the bowl game is done and the focus turns to McCaffrey's prospects in the draft, Shaw was quick to point out that the versatile running back checks off all the boxes of skills a coach wants. Shaw compared McCaffrey favorably to a LeSean McCoy, LaDainian Tomlinson, Marshall Faulk and Reggie Bush.
