Heart test gives Tongan chance to be NFL Star

New tests on Tongan native Star Lotulelei, a University of Utah defensive tackle, show normal heart function and could boost his stock in this month's National Football League Draft. The 23-year-old lineman, who moved with his family from Tonga to Utah at age nine, was considered among the top handful of collegiate prospects in the April 25 NFL Draft until an abnormal test at the NFL scouting combine last February. But Utah team physician Dave Petron told the Salt Lake Tribune that new tests after the combine showed "no evidence of dysfunction" and Lotulelei's heart functioned "consistently with that of highly trained athletes." A test at the combine showed Lotulelei's left ventricle operated at only 44 percent efficiency, but a new echocardiogram showed improvement in efficiency and the notion that the abnormal result might have been caused by a virus. "There was no evidence of a dysfunction so we think it was transient in nature," Petron said of the combine result. "There was no reason why he couldn't continue on in an athletic career." USA Today reported that University of Utah cardiologist Josef Stehlik conducted the test and wrote in a letter that treadmill stress testing and a portable EKG monitor showed only "complete normalization of the heart muscle function" from Lotulelei. "The cardiac evaluation Star Lotulelei underwent was thorough and comprehensive," Stehlik said. "It is therefore concluded that it is safe for him to participate in professional athletics without restrictions." Lotulelei made 42 tackles and led the team with 11 tackles for lost yardage that included five quarterback sacks last season. He also deflected four passes, forced three fumbles and recovered four fumbles for a team that went 5-7 last season. From: AFP