It was a long Thursday night for former Michigan defensive tackle Maurice "Mo" Hurst as he slipped out of the first round of the NFL Draft.
Then it was a long Friday night, as Hurst continued to slide out of the second and third rounds.
Finally Saturday came and Hurst, after waiting through the fourth round, finally got his phone call — he was being drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the 140th overall pick, early in the fifth round.
He spoke with new Raiders coach Jon Gruden on the phone where he was reassured that the team wasn't worried about his health.
“This is going to be a great, great day for the Raiders, and we’re really excited to add you to our team,” Gruden told Hurst. “I know it’s been a long day and the only reason you’re in the fifth round is because I know people have their question marks, but we have no doubts about you.”
Afterwards, Hurst took to Twitter to express his excitement.
Hurst slid in the draft because of a heart condition that NFL teams discovered at the NFL Scouting Combine. Hurst himself knew about the issue and played through it just fine at Michigan, but when money is involved, teams can be scared off easily.
“I mean, it’s money,” Hurst said. “But just upset and disappointed in teams that decided not to pick me. But one got a great player for very little.”
Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie acknowledged the heart condition but didn't sound too worried by it.
“The fact is he does have a heart condition,” McKenzie said. “It’s a situation where he’ll get it checked every year. But right now he’s good.
“I’m not going to get into all the medical terms and all the what-ifs, but he’s just going to have to follow a certain deal where he gets checked, just so everybody’s on the same page and we’ll know everything.”
Hurst will have a chance to play immediately and could even start depending on how well summer camp goes. Michigan fans know how talented he is, and the Raiders know they may have pulled off the biggest steal of the draft by getting a first-round talent so late.
"It's tough just going into it thinking that you're one of the top players in the draft and having good tape and everything like that," Hurst said. "Just having to wait and see guys that you believe that you're better than go ahead of you, I mean it's tough. But I'm just happy to be in the right place and part of a great organization."
Hurst added that he's excited to play next to one of the great pass rushers in the game in defensive end Khalil Mack. Gruden has stressed that the Raiders need a better pass rush, especially up the middle, and Hurst can be that guy.
"The one thing he can do is work the edge of the offensive linemen," McKenzie said. "He does a good job of maneuvering around that blocking and getting up field."
While Hurst having a long, successful career in the NFL might surprise some, it won't surprise Wolverine fans.
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