The scale weight of a person shouldn't be the standard measurement for overall health and fitness. And it's safe to assume that Louisville wide receiver Tutu Atwell believes scale weight shouldn't be the NFL's standard measurement for pro-level potential either.
Despite weighing in at a remarkably light 149 pounds during the league's medical combine in Indianapolis earlier this month, Atwell -- who also stands in at 5-foot-8 -- isn't letting his extremely small frame define him. He's confident in his makeup and playmaking abilities, and there's no reason for him not to be, considering the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Alabama wideout DeVonta Smith, is similar in stature.
"Whatever team I go on, of course I'm going to gain some weight. I just want to put that out there," Atwell told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "It ain't about the size. It's about what you do when you get to the team. So I know, whenever I get to that team, I'm going to put some weight on... [149 pounds] is what I weighed in at [during the medical combine], plus I had just got done using the bathroom. I used the bathroom almost 15 times. We had a drug test before that, so I was just peeing and peeing... I'm not [149 pounds], as of today. Size don't matter to me. Film don't lie. And hey, whatever team I get to, I'm putting that weight on, no doubt.
"Watch the tape... One, I played quarterback [before transitioning to wide receiver]. I know the game. I know where everybody's at. I know everybody's position... I'm different. I feel like I'm different from the other receivers, pretty much. And that's how I'm going to stay in the game longer. That's how I feel. That's my opinion. [My weight] is what it is. I can't take it back."
Atwell, 21, is the No. 157 overall prospect on Pro Football Focus' NFL Draft Big Board, and the 22nd-ranked wide receiver. Although the Miami native was a four-year starter at quarterback in high school, he converted to wide receiver upon his arrival at Louisville, and in 2020 -- his junior season -- Atwell caught a total of 46 passes for 625 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games.
Although Atwell's numbers from last season don't jump off the page, his 2019 campaign was exceptional. In 13 games (11 starts), Atwell led the ACC in receiving yards with 1,276, and broke the Cardinals' single-season record of 1,265 yards set by Harry Douglas in 2007. He also scored a conference-high 12 touchdowns, and was named First Team All-ACC.
According to Pro Football Focus, Atwell would be the lightest wide receiver drafted since 1999.
The entire conversation between Atwell and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.