Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy actually did work out at the NFL Combine, but only in the event’s least telling exercise
The VFL actually did more than just talk in Indianapolis.
Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy appeared at the NFL Combine last weekend in Indianapolis, where he addressed his injury for the first time publicly as well as met with teams. The Vols’ star defender missed the 2025 season while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in January 2025.
As a result, McCoy did not run at the Combine, nor take part in any of the agility drills. While that may have disappointed some, it’s understandable to some degree, as McCoy has missed over a year of time now with his rehab from the injury.
However, McCoy’s appearance in Indianapolis wasn’t solely limited to the interview podium and team meeting rooms, as it turns out.
The NFL listed the results from all the drills for all players at the NFL Combine, and McCoy actually participated in the bench press drill. He totaled 14 repetitions of 225 pounds on bench press.
Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy participated in bench press exercise at the NFL Combine despite not running
The NFL Combine assesses speed, agility, and muscular strength/endurance, and it assesses the latter in the form of the bench press.
It’s hard, at least for this writer, to fathom exactly how the bench press adequately gauges strength on a level that translates to football activities well. Perhaps it’s simply a test for how much a particular player has dedicated himself in the weight room. The squat would be a far more relevant and telling exercise for true football strength, particularly as it relates to leg drive and the strength of a player’s base, but I also understand the higher risks associated with it.
In any event, McCoy put up a decent but not elite number, ranking as the sixth of seven cornerbacks on bench press with his 14 reps.
But the real work for McCoy begins later this month in Knoxville at Tennessee’s Pro Day. McCoy, Hood, and the rest of the Tennessee NFL hopeful will be putting their skills on full display for scouts and executives in attendance. It will be the first time that McCoy will show his progress publicly since the end of the season and will give teams a legitimate look at seeing how well he’s moving and if they can trust he’s rehabbed himself to a place where he’s worth a high pick.
Tennessee’s Pro Day will take place on March 31 in Knoxville.
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