Trae Meadows has played his final game with Western Kentucky.

The redshirt senior defensive back has decided not to use the blanket eligibility waiver the NCAA provided for 2020 fall sport student-athletes, and instead declared his intentions to enter the NFL draft in a Twitter post Thursday.

“Pursuing the NFL has been a lifelong dream of mine & it would allow me to provide for my family just by doing something I love to do everyday,” Meadows wrote in a letter “To Hilltopper Nation, Family & Friends.” “It was tough decision to make because of the love for my teammates but I believe now is the time to take my next step in life. With that being said, I am foregoing my remaining year of eligibility to enter the 2021 NFL Draft.”

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound nickelback started all 12 games for the 5-7 Hilltoppers this season. He recorded 28 tackles, including a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a blocked kick this fall. Meadows also started all 13 games in 2019 in his first season at WKU and was named a Conference USA Honorable Mention selection both seasons.

Meadows came to WKU from Garden City Community College, where he had 34 tackles, 12 pass breakups and a 94-yard interception return for a touchdown. He was rated as a three-star junior college prospect by 247Sports. He started his career at North Carolina State.

“I want to start off by giving praise & thanks to God because he made all of this possible for me,” Meadows wrote. “I’ve had a football in my hands ever since I was 2 years old & fell in love with the game at an early age. The past 5 years of my life have been quite the journey. Because of that, I’m grateful for everyone who has helped me through it. I would like to thank my high school coaches, juco coaches & the coaches here at WKU for grooming me into the man & football player I am today. I would also like to personally thank my Mother for staying with me through it all & never giving up on me.”

Despite being a redshirt senior this season, Meadows could have played another season of college football. The NCAA Division I Council in August approved a blanket waiver to give fall sport student-athletes an additional year of eligibility and an additional year to complete it.

Meadows is the second Hilltopper to announce his intentions to enter the NFL draft since the season came to a close with a loss to Georgia State in the LendingTree Bowl on Saturday. Safety Devon Key announced his decision Monday on Twitter.