Fastest NFL players ever?

[Nors]

Too damn lazy to read this entire thread...but Willie Gault was pretty quick...and for us oldtimers, Homer Jones could flat out fly...in fact, there were discussions of a proposed race between Jones and Bob Hayes...

Darrel Green beat him at the NFL's fastest competitions.
Also Ron Brown, Herschel and all they trotted out. He was won every year he competed.....

 

[Nors]

Rocket
Grady
Trapp
Gault
Brown? Ron?
Jett




Veteran should be key in what looks to be young group

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com


Veteran cornerback and unrestricted free agent James Trapp, who has excelled as a "nickel" defender throughout his long NFL career, has re-signed for another season with the Baltimore Ravens.

Trapp, 32, has played the past three seasons with the Ravens after spending the first six years of his career with the Oakland Raiders. He signed a one-year contract believed to be for the minimum base salary of $750,000 for a player of his tenure.

The retention of Trapp provides security and experience for a Ravens secondary that is getting younger. Baltimore lost three of its 2001 starters, cornerback Duane Starks and safeties Rod Woodson and Corey Harris, in free agency. The lone returning starter now is three-year veteran corner Chris McAlister.

Baltimore did invest its first-round draft choice last month on a safety, selecting former University of Miami standout Edward Reed.

Trapp played in 10 games last season and started four of them, registering 29 tackles, one interception and one sack. For his career, he has appeared in 130 games, with 31 starts, and has 218 tackles, five interceptions and 29 passes defensed.

His best season came in 1997, when he started all 16 games at cornerback for Oakland, and had two interceptions. While his statistics might appear modest, Trapp has always been well regarded as a player who knows his role in "sub" defenses, and also a solid contributor on special teams.

The former Clemson standout entered the league as the Raiders' third-round choice in the 1993 draft. He is also noted as one of the league's swiftest players, having won the "NFL Fastest Man" competition in 1995 and the NCAA 200-meter indoor title in 1992.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

 

[Nors]

Speedy: Jervey holds own in Fastest Man competition
By Brad Zimanek
Packer Plus writer
June 19, 1996
Green Bay -- Travis Jervey came into the NFL's Fastest Man competition as an unknown and left with a growing reputation.

Jervey, the Packers' second-year running back, was seeded sixth out of six and squared off against defending champion James Trapp of the Oakland Raiders.

Trapp, a cornerback, was an alternate on the U.S. 4x100-meter relay team at the 1992 Olympics.

"The day before he was like 'Carl this' and 'Carl that,' " Jervey said. "I was like, 'Man, he's talking about running against Carl Lewis.' "

The gun sounded in the 60-yard race (55-meter equivalent) on June 8 at the track in Richardson, Texas, and Jervey more than held his own in the opening heat of the competition.

"He was the defending champion and I was ahead of him most of the time," Jervey said. "At 45 yards I was still ahead of him but he just came through in the end. His top speed is just so phenomenally fast. I couldn't hang with him after 50 yards."

Jervey's time of 6.32 seconds was enough to place him fourth overall -- ahead of both Minnesota wide receiver Qadry Ismail (6.4) and Detroit all-purpose performer Glyn Milburn.

In the finals, Oakland wide receiver James Jett, a gold medalist on the U.S. 1992 4x100-meter team, ran 6.1 and defeated Trapp (6.22) and St. Louis wide receiver Alexander Wright (6.30).

Jervey was easily the largest competitor at 225 pounds. Jett weighs 165 and Trapp checks in at 185.

"It was weird because after I raced, all the running backs that were there came up to me and were real nice," said Jervey, who won $3,000. "Emmitt Smith, Thurman Thomas, Herschel Walker and Errict Rhett . . . all of them watched me run.

"They came over and congratulated me and said, 'You were moving. You really got some speed. I had a chance to meet with them one-on-one and Emmitt had a party at his house the next day. That was real cool to be able to go and talk to those players in a setting like that."

The event will be telecast on Sept. 7 on NBC. Jervey was invited to come back and try again in 1997.

"I've never prepared for a 60 before so it was kind of fun," Jervey said. "That's something I can improve on. It's something for fun but at the same time I wanted to win.

"I can improve on a 60 because I have to learn how to maintain full speed like that. Normally, I'm just getting up to full speed and then I'm done."

But Jervey might have to get past the heated competition of a teammate by this time next year.

Rookie running back Chris Darkins, who won the Big Ten 55-meter championship in 1995 with a 6.27 clocking, helped Jervey by teaching him how to get out of the blocks.

"Travis is already fast," Darkins said. "He can smoke. I just helped him as far as his first three steps. It would have been nice if I got to try it but rookies don't get those perks."

And who would win between the two?

"He might actually beat me at 55 meters," Jervey said. "That's his race."

Jervey defeated Darkins in the 40-yard dash at the post-draft minicamp, but that battle is far from over, according to Darkins, who said: "It's not long before the 40 is mine."

 

[laythewood28]

imo galloway has to be the fastest player. he posted a 4.15 on grass after tearing his acl with Dallas and posted a 4.18 forty his rookie year.

 

[Nors]

imo galloway has to be the fastest player. he posted a 4.15 on grass after tearing his acl with Dallas and posted a 4.18 forty his rookie year.

But all Dallas times are invalid after Randal's reported 4.04.........


Its been reported Gold medal sprinters run in the 4.2 range. I keep going to New Hampshire web site and he holds no school records and in high school did not even win local regional races.

 

[Merlin]

Speedy: Jervey holds own in Fastest Man competition
By Brad Zimanek
Packer Plus writer
June 19, 1996
Green Bay -- Travis Jervey came into the NFL's Fastest Man competition as an unknown and left with a growing reputation.

Jervey, the Packers' second-year running back, was seeded sixth out of six and squared off against defending champion James Trapp of the Oakland Raiders.

Trapp, a cornerback, was an alternate on the U.S. 4x100-meter relay team at the 1992 Olympics.

"The day before he was like 'Carl this' and 'Carl that,' " Jervey said. "I was like, 'Man, he's talking about running against Carl Lewis.' "

The gun sounded in the 60-yard race (55-meter equivalent) on June 8 at the track in Richardson, Texas, and Jervey more than held his own in the opening heat of the competition.

"He was the defending champion and I was ahead of him most of the time," Jervey said. "At 45 yards I was still ahead of him but he just came through in the end. His top speed is just so phenomenally fast. I couldn't hang with him after 50 yards."

Jervey's time of 6.32 seconds was enough to place him fourth overall -- ahead of both Minnesota wide receiver Qadry Ismail (6.4) and Detroit all-purpose performer Glyn Milburn.

In the finals, Oakland wide receiver James Jett, a gold medalist on the U.S. 1992 4x100-meter team, ran 6.1 and defeated Trapp (6.22) and St. Louis wide receiver Alexander Wright (6.30).

Jervey was easily the largest competitor at 225 pounds. Jett weighs 165 and Trapp checks in at 185.

"It was weird because after I raced, all the running backs that were there came up to me and were real nice," said Jervey, who won $3,000. "Emmitt Smith, Thurman Thomas, Herschel Walker and Errict Rhett . . . all of them watched me run.

"They came over and congratulated me and said, 'You were moving. You really got some speed. I had a chance to meet with them one-on-one and Emmitt had a party at his house the next day. That was real cool to be able to go and talk to those players in a setting like that."

The event will be telecast on Sept. 7 on NBC. Jervey was invited to come back and try again in 1997.

"I've never prepared for a 60 before so it was kind of fun," Jervey said. "That's something I can improve on. It's something for fun but at the same time I wanted to win.

"I can improve on a 60 because I have to learn how to maintain full speed like that. Normally, I'm just getting up to full speed and then I'm done."

But Jervey might have to get past the heated competition of a teammate by this time next year.

Rookie running back Chris Darkins, who won the Big Ten 55-meter championship in 1995 with a 6.27 clocking, helped Jervey by teaching him how to get out of the blocks.

"Travis is already fast," Darkins said. "He can smoke. I just helped him as far as his first three steps. It would have been nice if I got to try it but rookies don't get those perks."

And who would win between the two?

"He might actually beat me at 55 meters," Jervey said. "That's his race."

Jervey defeated Darkins in the 40-yard dash at the post-draft minicamp, but that battle is far from over, according to Darkins, who said: "It's not long before the 40 is mine."

Good find, Nors. That was exactly my point. In the first 40 - 50 m, there are numerous guys in the NFL that can hang with the world class sprinters. Once the race gets past that though, those guys start wearing out. The world class sprinters are just reaching top speed at around 50 - 60 m whereas the other guys have already started losing speed.

 

[Nors]

Good find, Nors. That was exactly my point. In the first 40 - 50 m, there are numerous guys in the NFL that can hang with the world class sprinters. Once the race gets past that though, those guys start wearing out. The world class sprinters are just reaching top speed at around 50 - 60 m whereas the other guys have already started losing speed.

I was a quick starter in track, no one beat me in the 10 - 20 at hurdles. By 30 world class guys overtook me and by 50-60 it was going South fast. I was not competitive at all at that level outdoors at 110M hurdles.


Guys like Deion, Bo, Green are Track world class fast - JMO

 

[jterrell]

I'll dispute this little nugget from your two lenghty posts although there is much more that is disputable, I simply don't have the time to refute everything.


Basic math tell us that a 4.69 40M does not equate to a 4.05 40 yard. Using the assumption that 1 metre equals 1.0936 yards (at least in my universe), how could anyone with a basic understanding mathematics make such an obvious faux paus.

One cannot get an accurate 40 yard time using a 40 metre split (because a sprinter is still accelerating through the 3.5 (roughly) yard difference , hence simple computation results in a slightly lower 40 yard time), but using those numbers, best case scenario results in a 40 yard time of 4.29 (4.69/1.0936) (but probably more realistically a 4.31 or so).

Even if we disallowed any time of reaction time, I'm to believe that one of the best sprint track athletes of all time who has trained exlusively to run fast quickly is slower than NFL players?

What you are missing the is reaction time reduction to translate this to a 40 yard dash time. That reaction reduction means he was at an adjusted time of of much less than 4.69.

Its not a math faux pas it a matter of converting apples to apples and you are still reading it as oranges.

 

[jterrell]

The obvious missed point is most of these football players running awesoem times ARE world class speed guys. If they sucked at football they could be in the Olympics.

Darrell Green outran Carl Lewis numerous times. Trapp, Gault, Nehemiah were all track stars. They cam einto football and were often flat outrun by pure football guys.

Football is THE American sport not track.

Could Michael Vick be a world class sprinter? VERY likely if he wanted to make about 1/10th of what he does now and toil for years with a speed coach.

And again EVEN if you use Randal Williams 4.04 40 time it CAN be considered accurate because the accepted adjustment is .24 seconds for reaction time making it a 4.28 which would be .04 less than the time deduced above by Adam for Ben Johnson. So even the flimsy handheld stuff holds up.

Texas produces many of the best track athletes in the world. Not suprisingly most of those guys play football and hope to earn an actual living in the NFL. Guys like Carl Lewis, Roy Burrell, Roy "Robot" Martin, Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner who have undeniable world class speed and the records to prove it were beaten by guys in high school and college that went on to play football.

The 40 yard dash at the combine grades all of the runners evenly though minus reaction time. Thats why I distrust guys who run at pro days after skipping the combine. Guys running at Miami, OSU and USF are running on notoriously fast tracks.

 

[Nors]

The obvious missed point is most of these football players running awesoem times ARE world class speed guys. If they sucked at football they could be in the Olympics.

Darrell Green outran Carl Lewis numerous times. Trapp, Gault, Nehemiah were all track stars. They cam einto football and were often flat outrun by pure football guys.

Football is THE American sport not track.

Could Michael Vick be a world class sprinter? VERY likely if he wanted to make about 1/10th of what he does now and toil for years with a speed coach.

And again EVEN if you use Randal Williams 4.04 40 time it CAN be considered accurate because the accepted adjustment is .24 seconds for reaction time making it a 4.28 which would be .04 less than the time deduced above by Adam for Ben Johnson. So even the flimsy handheld stuff holds up.

Texas produces many of the best track athletes in the world. Not suprisingly most of those guys play football and hope to earn an actual living in the NFL. Guys like Carl Lewis, Roy Burrell, Roy "Robot" Martin, Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner who have undeniable world class speed and the records to prove it were beaten by guys in high school and college that went on to play football.

The 40 yard dash at the combine grades all of the runners evenly though minus reaction time. Thats why I distrust guys who run at pro days after skipping the combine. Guys running at Miami, OSU and USF are running on notoriously fast tracks.

Unless you have valid medical, no participate in all events at combine you are ineligible for draft? Don't run you can't be drafted until day 2? Same track, controlled and accurate times. Its becoming a joke the top flight guys won't participate. Thats why I always liked Newman - he had the balls to run with nothing but downside to doing that.

 

[Big Country]

Honestly, Bo Jackson was probably the fastest ever is his prime, the only NFL player I ever heard of running a 4.1 40.

I did hear once back in the day, when he was a rookie, that Deion ran a 4.12 in TC WITH PADS ON... It's a shame that Bo's football career was shortened by that hip injury.

 

[KINGBRICE_28]

I did hear once back in the day, when he was a rookie, that Deion ran a 4.12 in TC WITH PADS ON... It's a shame that Bo's football career was shortened by that hip injury.

I never heard that.......If he did it it was probably hand timed with a buddy.....

If he did it electronically with a coach it would be well known.....

 

[trickblue]

I did hear once back in the day, when he was a rookie, that Deion ran a 4.12 in TC WITH PADS ON... It's a shame that Bo's football career was shortened by that hip injury.

Alexander Wright did it too...

The Bullet is the man... you have to remember... they had no fancy trainers or supplements back then... he was ALL natural burner... defenses designed their whole gameplan in fear of him...

He could NOT be covered man to man... hence the zone defense...

Hayes changed the game... he was the man...

I would rank them like this...

1. Bob Hayes
1a. Homer Jones
1b. Darell Green
1c. Deion Sanders
1d. Alexander Wright
1e. Bo Jackson