Fastest 40-Yard Dash Times, NFL History

[Idgit]

Originally Posted by AmarilloCowboyFan

I had no idea Bo held the record. That's amazing considering how big he was.

He was the best athlete I've ever seen play. Would have been the best all time, in my opinion, if he'd been healthier.

[ZeroClub]

Originally Posted by cobra

6. Speaking of combination of size and speed, I would expect to see Hershel Walker on this list. He was amazingly fast coming out of college.

I doubt Walker even went to the combine. He left GA early, after signing with an agent if I remember correctly, and went directly to the USFL.

You are right, though, he was fast.

[cowboy_ron]

Originally Posted by AmarilloCowboyFan

I had no idea Bo held the record. That's amazing considering how big he was.

Bo was a beast

[joseephuss]

Originally Posted by CCBoy

MVP in both MLB and NFL All Star Games in the same season...yea, I'd agree.

That is not true. Bo only made one Pro-Bowl and he was not the MVP in that game. Jim Kelly was the MVP that year.

[joseephuss]

Originally Posted by ZeroClub

I doubt Walker even went to the combine. He left GA early, after signing with an agent if I remember correctly, and went directly to the USFL.

You are right, though, he was fast.

Are those combine numbers? I thought they were just unofficial numbers gathered from different sources.

[TheCowboy]

Wow great post. Thank you!

[JackWagon]

Those are some cool numbers (probably pretty accurate from pro days and such) ... but i want to see an official list of combine numbers. Whats the top 20 all time 40 times from the combine.

[DFWJC]

Originally Posted by MonsterD

Some not all of those times are fudged by hand-timing.

I am not saying that electronic timing is foolproof, but it is more accurate.

This is like when al those guys say they are going to run a 4.2 at the combine and then they run a 4.5 or a late 4.4. Most of that is just from crap timing, only one I can think of that did what he boasted was Chris Johnson.

Yeah.
40 times are the most fudged stat out there. The times to really be wary of are those on-campus hand-timed ones. Oddly, they always end up being faster than when the perspon is timed more offcially. Funny how that works.

[CCBoy]

Originally Posted by joseephuss

That is not true. Bo only made one Pro-Bowl and he was not the MVP in that game. Jim Kelly was the MVP that year.

So, let's do a little defining of intent...then you admit that he was in both MLB and NFL All Star Games?

Was he by chance league MVP any season in the NFL?

As we are only defining superlatives from the start...(cough)

And the MVP for MLB All Star game was: 1989 Bo Jackson

...but in 89: 1989 February 4, 1990 NFC, 27-21 NFC, 12-8 Jerry Gray, Rams

Kelly won it in 90'

I'll answer my own question on Leabue MVP: 89 it was• Joe Montana, QB

[Tex]

Info on some of the past 40 times including Bo's as well as changes starting this year on how they will be timed. Interesting as they time manually. But in the recent past they have also timed 40's where the first movement by the guy started the time and a laser beam at the finish line closed it out.

Now they are talking about having a all electric run from start to end. But it will increase most 40 times a couple TENTHS. So a 4.4 is going to be 4.6 under the new timing method.

But they are not even going to RELEASE those times to the athletes or teams??? ***

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/s...ck-for-players

Heck I was surprised at how UNOFFICIAL the current method is.

"The fastest verifiable time in combine history was 4.12 seconds by Bo Jackson in 1986 on manual watches in the Superdome.

There are numerous stories that Deion Sanders ran faster than 4.2 seconds at another Superdome combine. But research indicates he was timed in 4.28 seconds at best on one of the so-called "official" watches.

Even before the inclusion of the secret FAT timings this year, there was confusion among the media and fans over so-called "official" 40 times. And the reason is simple -- there really is no single, "official" 40 time.

Here is what happens to get the 40 times at the combine that are revealed:

• Those who participate in the 40 run twice, and on each run they are timed by two hand-held stopwatches and one electronic timer (initiated by hand on the player's first movement).

• Combine data put together for NFL teams by National Scouting includes all six of those times for each player, but no single official time.

Team scouts and coaches have various approaches for reaching agreement on a 40 time they use from those six timings. Some use averages. Some throw out slowest and fastest and then average the rest. Some ignore the whole thing and use a time taken by their own scout. "

Tex

[CCBoy]

Originally Posted by Tex

Info on some of the past 40 times including Bo's as well as changes starting this year on how they will be timed. Interesting as they time manually. But in the recent past they have also timed 40's where the first movement by the guy started the time and a laser beam at the finish line closed it out.

Now they are talking about having a all electric run from start to end. But it will increase most 40 times a couple TENTHS. So a 4.4 is going to be 4.6 under the new timing method.

But they are not even going to RELEASE those times to the athletes or teams??? ***

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/s...ck-for-players

Heck I was surprised at how UNOFFICIAL the current method is.

[View Full Quote]"The fastest verifiable time in combine history was 4.12 seconds by Bo Jackson in 1986 on manual watches in the Superdome.

There are numerous stories that Deion Sanders ran faster than 4.2 seconds at another Superdome combine. But research indicates he was timed in 4.28 seconds at best on one of the so-called "official" watches.

Even before the inclusion of the secret FAT timings this year, there was confusion among the media and fans over so-called "official" 40 times. And the reason is simple -- there really is no single, "official" 40 time.

Here is what happens to get the 40 times at the combine that are revealed:

• Those who participate in the 40 run twice, and on each run they are timed by two hand-held stopwatches and one electronic timer (initiated by hand on the player's first movement).

• Combine data put together for NFL teams by National Scouting includes all six of those times for each player, but no single official time.

Team scouts and coaches have various approaches for reaching agreement on a 40 time they use from those six timings. Some use averages. Some throw out slowest and fastest and then average the rest. Some ignore the whole thing and use a time taken by their own scout. "

Tex

Thanks, nice addition...

[TheCount]

Ahman Green ran a 4.1?!

[interestedobserver]

I've always wanted to know what Hussein Bolt could have done on a football field if he grew up here. 6'5" and easily faster than any of those guys. If he could catch, how would you defend him?

[DFWJC]

Originally Posted by TheCount

Ahman Green ran a 4.1?!

You can almost 100% be sure that he did not.....not officially anyway.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by interestedobserver

I've always wanted to know what Hussein Bolt could have done on a football field if he grew up here. 6'5" and easily faster than any of those guys. If he could catch, how would you defend him?

Bobby Hays changed the game of football as we know it. People forget how much he really did alter how pass defense was done in those old days and was not really great at catching the ball.

I dont think todays NFL would have to make the radical changes to combat Bolt that Hays caused.

But I would of loved to see the "race" Chris Johnson kept trying to pimp between he and Bolt. He at least had a sprinters background I think.

Tex