Written by John Glennon
FRANKLIN — If pedigree counts for anything, then NFL scouts should be rubbing their hands together in anticipation at the sight of University of Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker. After all, three of his Volunteer predecessors at the same position — Buffalo's David Martin, Dallas' Jason Witten and Kansas City's Brad Cottam — are holding down NFL roster spots, with Witten having recently earned his seventh straight trip to the Pro Bowl.
Stocker hopes to take some steps toward the next level himself in the coming weeks as he's currently preparing for Saturday's Senior Bowl and next month's NFL Combine.
"I know (next) week at the Senior Bowl is a huge opportunity for myself to play against the best of the best, in front of a bunch of NFL scouts from every team around," said Stocker, a projected early- to middle-round selection who's working out at the D1 Sports Training facility.