Myles Jack: Jim Mora’s NFL draft comments ‘definitely surprised me’

UCLA linebacker Myles Jack (30) said he was surprised that head coach Jim Mora seemed skeptical about his NFL draft decision. (Keith Birmingham/Staff)

UCLA linebacker Myles Jack (30) said he was surprised that head coach Jim Mora seemed skeptical about his NFL draft decision. (Keith Birmingham/Staff)

Despite expressing support for Myles Jack’s decision to leave UCLA, head coach Jim Mora sounded uncertain about the linebacker’s draft prospects.

On Tuesday, Mora described Jack’s choice to go pro as a risky move, saying that he had “never seen a guy taken off of” just three games as a junior. The 20-year-old started 28 straight games as a Bruin before suffering a season-ending meniscus tear late last month.

However, Jack told NFL.com that had a brief conversation with Mora and left under the impression that the coach was back him “1,000 percent.”

“(His later comments) definitely surprised me,” Jack told NFL.com‘s Mike Silver, “but I don’t know — maybe that’s what he felt. I mean, it’s a little crazy down there right now. They just suffered their first defeat (to Arizona State), and these are crazy times around here. But I’m still riding with the Bruins.

“Coming from him, I can’t discredit what he’s done in the NFL, so I have to value his opinion. I have no choice but to respect his opinion and take what he says into consideration. The only scout I know is my head coach, so what he says, I have to take it seriously. But I’m definitely glad I made the decision.”

Jack said that he was having difficulty getting from class to class while injured. He also felt encouraged by the fact that Georgia running back Todd Gurley tore his ACL last November, but was still drafted No. 10 overall by the St. Louis Rams. Gurley ran for 146 yards on 19 carries on Sunday in a 24-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Jack will rehab in Los Angeles before relocating to the Phoenix area, where he will work under the Cardinals’ staff physical therapist Brett Fischer.