The NFL Combine allows prospects for the NFL Draft to show off their skills. However, one player came into the event extremely compromised.
Michigan State star receiver Jayden Reed played for the Spartans for three seasons after transferring from Western Michigan after his freshman season. His impressive junior and senior were enough to get invited to the combine.
Unfortunately, Reed has been dealing with an extremely nasty eye infection which nearly closed one eye entirely shut. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report this.
“Michigan St. WR Jayden Reed has been battling a severe eye infection, one so bad that one eye is almost fully closed. But he decided to compete on the same stage as every player and is going to do a full workout at the combine,” Rapoport tweeted.
Michigan St. WR Jayden Reed has been battling a severe eye infection, one so bad that one eye is almost fully closed. But he decided to compete on the same stage as every player and is going to do a full workout at the Combine.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2023
Reed confirmed this by replying to Rapoport on social media, posting a picture of his clearly affected eye.
I can confirm 😉😂 https://t.co/3EcsUiNHp4 pic.twitter.com/uL4MbFL3tr
— j.reed1💂🏾 (@JaydenReed5) March 5, 2023
Reed ultimately battled through adversity, running his 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds.
Go Sparty, go!@MSU_Football WR Jayden Reed flying with a 4.45u.
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/D2Z7Lfqu5I— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2023
While Reed may have been hoping for a better time, many arond the NFL world gave him props for even competing given the circumstances.
And has absolutely dominated every drill @JaydenReed5 @gsefootball https://t.co/G6M7vs7vLR
— David Canter (@davidcanter) March 4, 2023
These are the type of players I want on my team. https://t.co/0oIp1Gs4XQ
— Monte (@MONTECRI5TO) March 4, 2023
HE HAS THAT SPARTAN DAWG IN HIM https://t.co/HzGoVS7e61
— Cedar Village Bagel (@CVBagel) March 4, 2023
Some players sit out the combine when perfectly healthy, others ball out with only one eye open 🤷♂️ https://t.co/NgmmlKG4nU
— Trouble With The Slap (@trblewithdaslap) March 5, 2023
On my list of Patriots targets. As a coach, this would endear a prospect to me. https://t.co/dRXHWLodze
— New England Football Journal ® 🏈 (@newftbj) March 4, 2023
Even if he didn’t run the greatest 40 time, it has to be encouraging to NFL front offices that he decided to compete in the combine despite the truly aggrevating factors at play.
We will see whether or not that pays off for him in April when he hopefully gets selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.
[Ian Rapoport on Twitter, Jayden Reed on Twitter]
