National Football League

Report: Lotulelei unable to work out

Published Feb. 24, 2013 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Prized defensive tackle prospect and expected top-10 NFL Draft pick Star Lotulelei will not be able to work out at the NFL Combine because of a heart condition, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

An echocardiogram conducted as part of a normal medical exam discovered the condition, and Lotulelei will be held out of all workouts until further testing can be done. Lotulelei will consult a specialist in the coming week, and will still conduct interviews with team officials while he waits for more results.

Mortensen reported that Lotulelei has low Ejection Fraction, which means his heart is not pumping blood at normal levels. Ejection Fraction refers to the percentage of blood that is pumped out of the heart during each beat.

No heart is capable of pumping at 100 percent efficiency, but a normal heart should be somewhere between 55 and 70 percent. Lotulelei’s heart is significantly below that, at 44 percent efficiency. Low Ejection Fraction can lead to fatigue, abdominal pain, inability to exercise and irregular heartbeat.

Lotulelei recorded 42 total tackles at Utah last year, including 10 tackles for loss and five sacks. He is considered one of the top defensive line prospects in this year’s Draft.