Hurst: Irregular EKG led to Combine red flags

— The Sports Xchange —

Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, whose medical report at the NFL Scouting Combine this week was red-flagged due a heart condition, said Sunday an irregular EKG led to his withdrawal from athletic testing at the event.

Hurst told the NFL Network that he will undergo further tests at Michigan, adding he was “optimistic” he would be cleared to work out for scouts at the Michigan Pro Day on March 23.

A source told Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com that the diagnosis was a “very” serious issue for Hurst, who hadn’t been expected to have any hurdles with the Combine evaluations. He played 38 straight games to finish his career in Ann Arbor.

Hurst entered the Combine ranked as the 20th-best prospect by NFLDratfScout.com.

“He was extremely excited (for the combine),” former Michigan linebacker Mike McCray told MLive.com “He wanted to come out here and show that he’s the best defensive tackle in the draft. And I feel like he is, still, even though he won’t be able to compete here. But that was one of his goals, to come out and show everybody he’s the best.”

Hurst was a consensus All-American in 2017.

Wrote NFLDraftScout.com: “Hurst has the initial surge of quickness and power to break the rhythm of the blockers. His ball recognition and competitive hunger are also NFL-ready traits, making him ideally-suited as one-gapping defensive tackle in an aggressive scheme.”