INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana. – While he’s certainly excited about the opportunity this week’s NFL Combine presents, former Georgia running back Elijah Holyfield conceded the decision to leave Athens wasn’t as easy as many may have thought.

In fact, it was more difficult than even he thought it would be.

The reason? His teammates.

“I didn't want to leave them on that note,” said Holyfield, referring to Georgia’s loss in the Sugar Bowl to Texas. “I have a lot of friends on that team, and it wasn’t the way I wanted to go out. But I had to do what’s best for me and put everything else aside.”

Ultimately, Holyfield said his decision came down to one simple question that kept rolling around in his mind.

“I had to look at how much I could improve my stock with the time I have now or how much I could improve my stock by going back to school,” Holyfield said. “I just felt it was better for me to go ahead and come out. I came off a really good season, I'm fresh, I've never been hurt before, and I'm still young. Running backs have a very short shelf life, so I thought it was the best decision."

So, although he’ll miss being with Georgia as the Bulldogs try and defend their SEC East crown, he’ll do so knowing that his best days of a running back are still ahead.

He’s already gotten off to a good start at the Combine, held annually in Indianapolis.

Thursday, Holyfield finished third among the running backs by putting up 26 reps on the bench press (225 pounds).

“I’ve been training hard; I’m looking forward to seeing the hard work pay off,” said Holyfield, who worked out with sprinter Christian Coleman, who is the world record holder in the 60-meter dash and was a double silver medalist at the World Championships of Athletics in 2017.

“He helped me a lot,” Holyfield said of Coleman, a Fayetteville native. “He really helped show me how to eliminate a lot of wasted arm motion, and how to put all my force going forward. There’s no better person to get advice from than the fastest man in the world."

However, once he signs with an NFL team, Holyfield’s running will revert to a style he honed while being a member of the Bulldogs.

“I like to run angry and physical,” Holyfield said. “But I’ve got a little finesse, too.”

That’s not all. Although he split duties with D’Andre Swift, Holyfield wants NFL teams to know he’s more than capable of being an every-down back.

“I think I can be a three-down back,” Holyfield said. “I can do a lot of things: I can pass protect; I can play special teams if need be. I’m the full package.”

Holyfield, who rushed for 1,034 yards, said he’s talked to “too many teams to remember” during his brief time in Indianapolis, but has not spoken with the Atlanta Falcons so far.

“I’m not worried about what team, or what round I go in, just as long as I go to a team,” Holyfield said. “I’ve still got to go and earn my paycheck. I think I’ll fit in multiple systems.”

Holyfield said the teams he spoke with wanted to know more about his catching passes out of the backfield. They have seen him do so, just not a lot. Holyfield, for his part, explained to them that he can catch passes, but there's only one ball.

"The way Georgia uses its backs, it really doesn't hinder you to split time with anybody," Holyfield said. "If you are a good back and want to come out fresh and have a good, long career, then a school like Georgia is the place for you."