Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Chris "Beanie" Wells stood as his locker in a daze, still feeling the effects of a concussion that had forced him to leave the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in the fourth quarter.
Wells tried to convince the Ohio State staff he could re-enter the game after taking a blow to the head on a 2-yard run early in the fourth. Judging by the way Wells looked in the locker room, the Buckeyes' trainers and coaches made the right decision.
"I don't think I could have gone [back in]," Wells said. "I really couldn't see straight."
If Monday's game marked the last in Wells' career at Ohio State, it served as a suitable summary.
He was brilliant on the field, rushing for 106 yards on only 16 carries. But as has been the case throughout his term, Wells fell victim to an injury.
"I feel as if I was doing pretty good in the first half, would come out and have a great second half," Wells said. "And then it happened. ... I definitely wanted to be out there."
Wells reiterated that he hasn't decided whether he'll forgo his senior season at Ohio State and enter the NFL draft. Last week he kept the door open for a return, saying he hadn't accomplished everything he wanted to in Columbus.
But most signs point to Wells turning pro, and his performance Monday night against a tough Texas defense certainly helped his stock. He said the injury and the loss won't be major factors in his decision.
Should he return, Wells will once again be a Heisman Trophy frontrunner and a favorite to win the Doak Walker Award. He's widely projected to be one of the first two backs selected in the NFL draft if he turns pro.
"I'm going to sit down the next few days and talk about it with my family," he said.
Adam Rittenberg joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four years at the Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald, where he covered sports at Notre Dame, Northwestern, DePaul and several other colleges. He lives in Chicago.
