January 3, 2009 UConn wins bowl, Brown NFL bound Play video

(NECN/ESPN) - Connecticut's star running back Donald Brown had little to prove at the college level, and it showed on Saturday.

Brown rushed for a career-high 261 yards against Buffalo in the International Bowl -- 208 of those yards coming in the first half.

After becoming the 14th player in major college history to run for 2,000 yards in a season, the junior running back broke the bad news to UConn fans -- he will forego his final season at UConn.

"OK, tell them, bud," coach Randy Edsall said, slapping Brown on the back at the postgame interview table.

"I'm not coming back," Brown said. "I'm going to pursue the NFL."

Three weeks prior, Brown had said he planned on returning to UConn. He apologized for saying that, no matter how good his intentions were at the time.

"I apologize for quote, unquote lying, but I did it to protect my team," Brown said. "They mean the world to me, so I'm willing to put my neck on the line for them."

Brown finished his junior season with 2,083 yards rushing and set a school record with 18 touchdowns.

Video courtesy of ESPN. The Associated Press contributed to this report.