As Darrick Forrest pulled off his shoulder pads and sat in the locker room following the Peach Bowl on New Year's Day inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, he knew that was it.
The safety's time at the University of Cincinnati had come to a sobering end.
Forrest and the Bearcats lost to the Georgia Bulldogs, 24-21. It was Cincinnati's first defeat in 391 days.
"A lot of us, we wanted to make it happen," said Forrest, who had a season-high nine tackles in the game. "We went out there and we played our hearts out. They just got us in the end."
Forrest spent four years carving out his legacy at the University of Cincinnati. A legacy that includes a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2019, an All-AAC honorable mention last season, being a three-year starter and captain of one of the most dominant defenses in program history and earning a degree in health education.
The last page of the final chapter of Forrest's legacy at Cincinnati began with the Bearcats owning a 21-10 lead over the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter. The then-9-0 Bearcats were 15 minutes away from perfection.
But Georgia scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, and just like that, It was over.
"When I look back at that game, I feel like we've got to make the most of our opportunities because we'll never get that chance again," Forrest said. "We can't go back in time and get that moment back. So at the end of the day, we have to live our life to our full potential and not miss opportunities like that."
Two days after the loss, instead of taking advantage of the added year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Forrest declared for the 2021 NFL Draft.
"I just felt like I was ready to make that next step in my career," he said. "I was ready to become a professional."
Forrest was one of the first recruits in Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell's initial class in 2017. The Columbus, Ohio, native went on to collect six career interceptions, 200 career tackles, including a team-high 106 in 2019, and be one of the driving forces that helped Fickell turn the program into a top-10 mainstay.
"He's the very best," Fickell said. "He's the epitome of what our culture has become here. He's got the best work ethic, he's the toughest kid and a great teammate. ... I love Darrick."
Since signing with agent Aston Wilson and the Agency 1 Sports Group, Forrest's life has been a whirlwind. The 6-foot, 200-pound safety was invited to the 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, and he participated in the College Gridiron Showcase.
But perhaps the biggest thrill over the past month for Forrest came on Feb. 3. That was the day he received an invitation to the 2021 NFL scouting combine.
"That was big," he said. "Just to have an opportunity to showcase my talent for NFL teams is an honor."
Forrest is one of four UC players who have been invited to participate in this year's combine, joining fellow safety James Wiggins, offensive lineman James Hudson and punter James Smith.
Usually, around 330 of the draft's top prospects are invited each year to Indianapolis for the combine. The prospects are put through on-field workouts, undergo psychological and medical testing and sit through in-person interviews with personnel from all 32 NFL teams.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this year will be different.
All on-field workouts will be conducted at on-campus pro days, with the league having as much uniformity in the drills as possible.
All psychological tests and interviews between the NFL prospects and team officials will be conducted virtually.
Physical exams will be done at medical facilities near the prospect's home campus.
The exact dates of these tests, interviews and Cincinnati's pro day are yet to be determined.
A select number of prospects will be asked to travel to one or more designated sites for a more comprehensive exam in early April. Forrest doesn't know yet if he will be one of them.
In the meantime, Forrest is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, away from snowy Ohio, preparing for the next phase of his life: The NFL.
"I'm getting that nice weather," Forrest said. "I'm with a lot of guys from everywhere. We got guys from the Big Ten, SEC, Pac-12. We got guys from just about everywhere."
Forrest wakes up every day at 6:45 a.m. He works out at 7:30 a.m. After undergoing treatment and taking time to rest and refuel, he heads to the weight room at 1:30 p.m. Because of COVID-19, Forrest goes through many of his workouts while wearing a mask. There are no hot tubs or cold tubs, and he has to have his temperature taken before he can begin his day.
"It's just a little different, not being able to recover the way you would want to," he said. "And we can't hang around and just build relationships. ... But we get a lot of good work in, and that's all we need at the end of the day."
Forrest is on a strict diet that includes pasta with gluten-free noodles, chicken, steak and red potatoes.
"Most of our meal plans are half vegetables, so it's been tough on me," Forrest said with a laugh.
Sundays are Forrest's off days. Those are the days he allows himself to cheat on his diet while he sneaks away to the beach.
"I'm from Ohio, I don't get to see the ocean too much," he said.
But on Monday, it's back to the grind.
Forrest said his goal in the next several weeks is to improve his 40-yard dash time (4.3-4.4 range) and his football IQ.
"I need to keep learning the game," he said. "You can never become too knowledgeable of the game. So I want to be able to read and diagnose our coverages. I want to be able to break down the offensive plays. I want to know what's happening before it happens."
Forrest said his long-term goal is to make his family, including his 12 siblings, smile, especially on draft day. The 2021 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 29 to May 1.
"I feel like I have a high chance of getting drafted," Forrest said. "I'm just ready to make my family, Bearcat Nation and everybody around me proud."