Kyler Murray had a difficult time telling the Oakland A's that he is committed to pursuing the NFL.

"For me, it was something I've known for a while," Murray said of his football plans. "That organization, being with the A's, was the best possible situation for me just because they were so great throughout the football season, kind of leaving me alone and letting me do my own thing, and at the same time letting me know how much I meant to them and that type of stuff. Telling them was tough."

Murray was drafted ninth overall by the A's last summer. Oakland will retain his baseball rights.

"I mean, they can hold out all the hope they want to," Murray said. "I'm going to play football."

Murray could become the first athlete ever to be drafted in the first round of both sports.

"The night I got drafted to the A's -- obviously it was a great day of my life -- but I've been a football player my whole life," Murray said. "I didn't know how the NFL felt about me before this season because I hadn't played.

"Going into this [football] season, [the goal] was to put myself in the best position possible. Obviously, when you win, good things happen. A lot of good stuff happened this year."