For most potential draftees, the bench press is just another obstacle at the NFL scouting combine, one of many to worry about as teams thoroughly evaluate them up and down.
But for Auburn guard Braden Smith — a graduate of Olathe South High School — the bench press was hardly anything to stress over, and not just because of his prodigious strength.
Smith, who put up an impressive 35 reps of 225 pounds — tied for second-most among offensive linemen — also attached a charitable goal to the cause. Before the combine, he solicited pledges for every rep and raised $3,294.