Oct 07, 2015 12:41 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Myles Jack spoke publicly for the first time about his decision to withdraw from school, and admitted he was surprised to hear what his head coach at UCLA, Jim Mora, had to say.

Speaking with NFL Media, Jack said he had a "brief conversation" with Mora before he formally decided to withdraw from school to focus fully on preparing for the 2016 NFL Draft. Jack suffered a season-ending knee injury and was likely to declare for the draft in a matter of months anyway.

"It went pretty smoothly. He wanted to make sure I was 100-percent sure, and that it was really what I wanted to do, and not just what others wanted," Jack said of his meeting with Mora on Sunday. "In the end, he said that if that's what I want to do, he would back me up 1,000 percent, and that whatever I needed to do to try to get to the next level, he would help me any way he could."

Mora called Jack's decision "risky" at a press conference Tuesday and also offered his opinion as a former head coach in the NFL. Mora said NFL evaluators may be wary that Jack has bounced around the field, playing different positions. But he also stated he would support his now-former player however he could.

"It definitely surprised me, but I don't know - maybe that's what he felt," Jack told NFL Media of hearing Mora's comments. "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."

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