A doctor has written a letter to NFL teams clearing Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei to pursue a football career “without restrictions.”
Lotulelei, considered a potential first-round pick in the NFL draft later this month, was prohibited from working out at the Scouting Combine in February after a heart condition was discovered during testing.
Dr. Josef Stehlik of the Univeristy of Utah believes the abnormal test was caused by a viral infection.
“Testing performed a week (after the combine) … showed that, compared to the tests previously obtained, the heart muscle function appeared to have improved,” Stehlik wrote in a letter. “A treadmill stress test showed normal response of the heart to exercise, and an ambulatory EKG monitor revealed normal findings.
“A follow-up heart imaging test obtained on March 27, 2013, showed complete normalization of the heart muscle function.”
The 6-foot-2, 311-pound Lotulelei tested well on the field at Utah’s pro day in March with a 30-inch vertical leap, 38 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press and a 4.65-second time in the shuttle run.