NFL Combine: Iowa's Josey Jewell earns praise from opponents around the Big Ten

As former Iowa linebacker Josey Jewell went through drills at the NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah told a fitting story about the ex-Hawkeyes star.

Jeremiah told viewers that during the Senior Bowl, he polled players from around the Big Ten to see who they thought was the best player they played against. One name constantly popped up.

"Josey Jewell got more votes than anybody else," Jeremiah said Sunday. "He's got a lot of respect around that conference."

The story may epitomize the career of the Decorah native and three season starter for the Hawkeyes.

Josey Jewell living his grandfather's Hawkeye dream

Jewell doesn't jump off the charts. He doesn't have huge size. And during his 40-yard dash time Sunday, he showed he doesn't have blazing speed.

But Jewell does have a ton of success on the field with the Hawkeyes. His body of work may be just as valuable when evaluating Jewell, who could be a mid-range draft guy. Those who have seen it first-hand know just how big of an impact he can have on a defense.

"He had a lot of production in that conference — interceptions, plays on the ball in the pass game and is always around the run," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said during Sunday's broadcast.