A former Vol turned heads on Wednesday morning, and perhaps earned himself an NFL opportunity in the process.
Defensive tackle Owen Williams, who has been known as one of the strongest players on the team over the past few years, put up 42 reps on the 225-pound bench press in front of NFL scouts at Tennessee’s annual Pro Day. For context, the highest number at the NFL Scouting Combine last month was 34 reps by Arizona offensive lineman Christian Westerman.
Only six total players at the combine put up 32 or more reps. That makes Williams’ performance all the more staggering.
Will that be enough, however, to earn him an NFL opportunity? It’s difficult to say. He hasn’t been widely seen as a draftable prospect coming into Wednesday, but that show of strength will certainly help his chances to at least get in an NFL camp. And though he wasn’t a huge name like some of his defensive line companions last year, he was very productive in his first only year as a starter with 35 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, a sack and five quarterback hurries.
