Branden Albert's pain was unmistakable Tuesday as he talked about the seniors on Virginia's football team who hadn't been able to finish their college careers with a victory.

What he couldn't say at the time was that he would be joining them.

"It would have been selfish of me to come out after the game and say, 'OK, I'm moving on,' "Albert, a junior offensive guard, said Wednesday. "There were a lot of guys who were hurting after that game and I took it as hard as anybody."

Albert, named first-team All-ACC this season, told The Roanoke Times on Wednesday night that he will forgo his final season of eligibility.

The 6-foot-7, 310-pound lineman said he will complete the necessary paperwork to make himself available for the 2008 NFL Draft.

"I have been thinking about this decision for about the last month," said Albert, a co-captain who also was named a third-team All-American this season.

Albert made his 37th consecutive start for the Cavaliers on Tuesday in their 31-28 loss to Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl.

He started for the Cavaliers as a true freshman in the opening game of the 2005 season and never missed a game.

"I think I was a good kid; I haven't been in any trouble," Albert said. "I think I did right by the program and the program did right by me."

Albert said he notified head coach Al Groh and offensive-line coach Dave Borbely of his decision Wednesday.

"For the last week or so, I've known that this is what I want to do," said Albert, who lived in Rochester, N.Y., before finishing high school in Glen Burnie, Md., where he also played basketball. "This draft, in my opinion, should be lean for offensive guards."

Albert also started two games at offensive tackle when Eugene Monroe was injured this season, a moonlighting opportunity that should improve his marketability.

Albert did not solicit the opinion of an NCAA committee that advises underclassmen, relying instead on his older brother, Ashley Sims, and Groh.

"He did not try to deter me," said Albert of his conversations with Groh. "I trusted Coach Groh. He's very knowledgeable about the NFL. I knew he wasn't going to steer me the wrong way."

Albert originally signed with Virginia in 2004 but took a postgraduate year at Hargrave Military Academy. He turned 23 in November and admitted that was a factor in his decision.

"You know that football doesn't last forever and that's part of it," said Albert, "but, mostly, I just felt like I was ready."

The Gator Bowl started out as a suitable go-out party for Albert, who rushed for a 6-yard gain on a trick play in the second quarter. The Cavaliers rushed for a season-high 249 yards as a team, but the finish left a sour taste in Albert's mouth.

It was Albert's man, Texas Tech defensive tackle Rajon Henley, who applied the pressure that caused quarterback Peter Lalich to fumble at the UVa 4-yard line with the Cavaliers clinging to a 28-21 lead.

"We were setting up for a screen and I let my man go too early," Albert said.

Jake Ratliff recovered for the Red Raiders, who needed one play to tie the score.

"Of course, that's going to be on my mind for a while," Albert said. "I kind of feel I lost the game for us. I cracked."

That kind of accountability is one of the reasons that teammates elected Albert as one of the co-captains as a junior, and a third-year junior at that.

"I feel, towards the end, that I got a lot more attention as a player, but I understand that comes with winning," he said. "I have no complaints with the University of Virginia. I got everything out of my career that I could have wanted."