Hearst Will Leave Georgia for NFL Draft : Football: UCLA’s Henderson, Dawkins of Cal, Bettis and Carter of Notre Dame also say they are turning pro.

Georgia running back Garrison Hearst, who finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting this season, said Tuesday he will give up his final year of college eligibility and make himself eligible for the NFL draft.

Safety Othello Henderson, UCLA’s most valuable player on defense, also has decided to forgo his final season to make himself available for the draft.

Others joining them include wide receiver Sean Dawkins of Cal, wide receiver Phillip Bobo of Washington State, fullback Jerome Bettis and cornerback Tom Carter of Notre Dame, safeties Patrick Bates of Texas A&M; and Roger Harper of Ohio State, running back Natrone Means of North Carolina, defensive tackle Leonard Renfro of Colorado, and defensive back Mike Reid of North Carolina State.

Today is the deadline for undergraduates to declare their intentions for the April 25-26 draft.

Hearst rushed for 1,547 yards as the Bulldogs compiled a 9-2 regular-season record, then added 163 yards and two touchdowns as Georgia beat Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl last week, 21-14, earning a No. 8 final ranking.

“The final decision was made this morning,� Hearst said. “I thought about a lot of things last night. It was a hard thing for me to do.�

Hearst trailed Miami quarterback Gino Torretta and San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk in the Heisman balloting. Hearst won the Doak Walker award, given annually to the nation’s outstanding junior or senior running back.

Henderson told UCLA Coach Terry Donahue of his decision Monday.

“We are very sorry that Othello will not be with us next year,� Donahue, who is at the American Football Coaches Assn. convention in Atlanta, said in a statement. “He is an impact player who enjoyed an outstanding season in 1992 and would have been even better this coming year.�

Bettis ran for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Carter, a junior, has led the Irish in interceptions the last two years. He was tops on the team this past season with five interceptions and nine passes defensed.

Carter’s mother, Winifred, of St. Petersburg, Fla., is divorced and unemployed. “I wouldn’t have gone if my mother wasn’t in such bad shape,� Carter told the Indianapolis Star. “I feel I’m doing the right thing.�

Bates, who transferred to Texas A&M; from UCLA, has been projected as a first-round selection. Bates led the Southwest Conference with 95 tackles.

Harper led Ohio State with four interceptions and made 66 tackles, 37 of them unassisted.

Dawkins caught 65 passes for 1,070 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Golden Bears this season, and Bobo, who attended Moreno Valley High, caught 148 passes for 2,182 yards and 16 touchdowns in three years.

Means is a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection who rushed for 1,195 yards in the regular season and 120 in North Carolina’s 21-17 Peach Bowl victory over Mississippi State.

Renfro was a unanimous All-Big Eight selection. He ranked second on the team with 93 tackles.