USF TE Mitchell Wilcox hit in the face at combine, suffered popped blood vessel in eye

On Thursday, former USF tight end Mitchell Wilcox got absolutely pegged in the face running the gauntlet drill at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Wilcox suffered a popped blood vessel in his left eye as a result of the impact, but incredibly had the toughness and fortitude to continue running the drill to the best of his abilities.

USF TE Mitch Wilcox popped a blood vessel in his left eye when he took a ball to the face in the gauntlet drill Thursday at the combine, source said. Amazingly, Wilcox finished the workout, but clearly wasn’t himself. He’ll be ready to redo everything at pro day March 30.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 28, 2020

Re-watching the video of the hit Wilcox took to the face, it’s not all that surprising that he ended up with a popped blood vessel. The ball was coming in hot, and hit him right around eye level near the bridge of his nose.

This experience was painful, and it had to be frustrating for Wilcox. But if anything, teams have to love the way he gutted out the drill after being injured.