Michigan DT Maurice Hurst cleared to participate in pro day after missing NFL Combine

Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was ruled out for drills at the NFL Combine after he was diagnosed with a heart condition on March 3.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Hurst was cleared to resume playing football, a day before he’s set to participate in Michigan’s pro day:

Hurst explained what happened to NFL Network, via the Detroit News. “It was an irregular EKG. Same thing [happened] at Michigan,” Hurst said. “Went through a lot of tests and got that all figured out and was cleared, so hopefully just do the same thing once I get back to school and come back for rechecks.”

He still took things in stride, and was happy about his experience in Indianapolis. “It was a little bit devastating at first but then I just thought about where I’m at and all the stuff that’s gone into being here,” Hurst said. “I was just excited just to be able to meet all these great coaches and players.”

Despite missing the combine, Hurst will be able to display his abilities at Michigan’s pro day. He’ll still need to be cleared by NFL doctors, but this is a good sign for one of the best interior defensive linemen in college football during the 2017 season. Hurst was so good that SB Nation’s Dan Kadar still had him selected in the first round for his post-combine mock draft.

The news isn’t exactly surprising, after Hurst posted the following on Instagram Wednesday:

Hurst impressed scouts at his pro day:

His 40-yard dash times were also good:

Former Utah defensive lineman Star Lotulelei got a similar diagnosis in 2013 and was later cleared.

Lotuleilei’s career has worked out pretty nicely for him, too. He signed a five-year deal worth up to $50 million, with $25 million guaranteed. So there’s plenty of hope for Hurst.