Michigan's Greg Mattison vouches for Maurice Hurst’s health

Ann Arbor — Michigan defensive line coach Greg Mattison was an NFL coordinator before returning to Michigan, so it should come as no surprise he’s taken several calls from league coaches asking about Maurice Hurst.

Hurst, an All-American defensive tackle and the Wolverines' MVP last season, was held out of the NFL Combine after an irregular EKG was discovered during a routine physical. He has since been cleared to play and participated in the recent Michigan Pro Day.

He has been considered a first-round prospect but the Combine news might have given some teams pause. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper did not include Hurst in his most recent mock draft but last week called Hurst a “borderline” first-round pick.

Mattison said teams have called him to get his insight into Hurst’s situation and playing future.

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“They said, ‘What’s the word? What’s the deal with that?’ and they all know because I was in the NFL that I know what that is,” Mattison said. “I said, ‘Whoever gets him, will be a lucky team.’ You’re gonna see a guy that in the NFL will be so explosive and so fast. I’m being honest.

“If I didn’t think that, I would never do that to some of those people who are NFL coaches. I’d be honest with them. I think my players know that, that I’m going to be honest with whoever asks me. I’m very excited about his opportunities.”

Hurst said he was diagnosed with an irregular EKG when he first got to Michigan and was cleared a week later. Mattison said he was surprised by what happened at the Combine.

“Because I think he had that when he came in and it was all cleared,” Mattison said. “I don’t know this but, I think what happened, they thought, ‘Hey, that’s gone, there’s not going to be a problem.’ Well, all of a sudden he got tested again, and they go, ‘Whoa, what is this?’ And then there’s no alibis and you have to do it all over again.

“Mo is fine. Michigan would never play him if there was a chance of anything like that happening. Mo’s fine, and I think the NFL knows that, too, now.”

angelique.chengelis@detroitnews.com

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