After dealing with possible medical issues that kept him out of working out at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis earlier in the offseason, Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei has worked with doctors and they have cleared him to play football in the future.
According to ESPN.com, doctors that worked with Lotulelei said that "it is safe" for him to play football and that he "can participate in professional athletics without restrictions." The quotes came from a letter that was sent to NFL teams from Dr. Josef Stehlik of University of Utah Cardiology, who worked with Lotulelei and said that he would have no issues heading into the professional ranks.
Lotulelei is considered to be one of the top defensive prospects in the NFL draft and he was originally held out of working at the scouting combine after doctors found an issue with his heart. After the issues were looked at, doctors said that Lotulelei could resume football activities and workouts for teams.
Stehlik wrote to teams in the letter that the possible issues regarding the test results at the combine may have come from a viral infection and that following more tests, Lotulelei has
"complete normalization of the heart muscle function."
Lotulelei was able to workout at Utah's pro day last month after being barred from the combine and that he performed well for scouts who came to see him. According to ESPN.com, Lotulelei (unofficially of course) put up a 30-inch vertical jump, which is impressive for a 311-pund lineman and he also was able to put up nearly 40 reps in the bench press with 225 pounds on top of him. He also added a 4.65 time in the shuttle run, showing agility and quick feet.
Some teams that could be in the market for Lotulelei includes the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys. Some teams were concerned after he was not cleared for workouts at the combine, but after the new testing and the letter from doctors, chances are that won't be an issue in the future for teams as the draft nears.
There is a chance that Lotulelei could drop because of the past heart issues, but that would enable a team to pick up a player later in the draft that is highly touted.
