A punter stole the show at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday with an impressive showing on the bench press that beat out nearly all of his competition for the day. Arizona State's Michael Turk put together 25 reps of the 225-pound weight got the surrounding crowd of prospects absolutely hype for what they were witnessing. The excitement really kicks off about 10 seconds into this video from the NFL.
Turk is listed at just over 6-foot, and 226 pounds, so it's not like he's a small guy. That being said, his benchmark of 25 reps was enough to beat out all 33 receivers who participated in the event, and all but one tight end -- Cincinnati's Josiah Deguara matched Turk at 25.
The former Sun Devil's performance was even better than some household pass rushing names in the NFL today, according to ESPN, including Frank Clark (19 in 2015), Jadeveon Clowney (21 in 2014), DeMarcus Lawrence (20 in 2014), Devin White (22 in 2019), Chandler Jones (22 in 2012) or Michael Bennett (24 in 2009).
Turk entered the NFL Combine after completing his redshirt sophomore season with Arizona State, where he transferred to from Lafayette. On Sept. 4, he was named Ray Guy Punter of the Week for his performance in a 30-7 win over Kent State where he set NCAA, Pac-12 and ASU records for highest average yards per punt in a game with a minimum of five attempts at 63.0 yards per punt.
He wouldn't be the first member of his family to make the league if this performance helps him make a roster spot. Matt Turk, his uncle, played 19 seasons in the NFL as a punter with stops in Washington, Miami, New York (Jets), St. Louis, Houston and Jacksonville. The ex-Arizona State player unsurprisingly trained with his uncle in the offseason, as Matt's NFL accolades include three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro season. Another uncle of his, Daniel Turk, also played in the NFL for 15 seasons as an offensive lineman. He spent time with the Steelers, Buccaneers, Raiders and Washington.