Top 10 All-Time Fastest Players in the NFL

[Thomas82]

Freak enough to be leading Bolt at 40 meters? I just don't know about that Hostile... I respect Bo and all, but he is a large man and getting that mass to move faster than Bolt (who is kind of a slow starter, I know, although he had like the fifth fastest start in the finals, not exactly slow) across 40 meters is pushing it a bit. JMO.

Let's not forget that a yard and a meter are 2 different distances.

3 feet = 1 yard
3 yards = 1 meter

 

[IndianaCowboyFan]

Let's not forget that a yard and a meter are 2 different distances.

3 feet = 1 yard
3 yards = 1 meter

A meter is 39.37 inches not 3 yards.

 

[topdog]

With all the tall receivers in the game, always wondered why DB's weren't gettin' as tall as the game progressed, asked a coworker who use to coach L. Glover in H.S. and said basically shorter guys backpedal faster and better!!

 

[mmohican29]

Rocket Ismail was incredibly fast and elusive coming out of college. If not for his defection to Canada for a year, he might be in the top 5 of this list.

He remained insanely fast but lost his "Hester-like" elusiveness that would have put him in the Hall of Fame had it stayed with him in his NFL career. He was untouchable at Notre Dame, and this is coming from a U of Miami fan.

 

[AdamJT13]

So what do you predict his record time would have been had he not let up the last 20 meters?

Not as fast as some people think (such as in the 9.5s). Look at his splits again --

RT 0.165
10 1.685
20 1.02
30 0.91
40 0.87
50 0.85
60 0.82
70 0.82
80 0.82
90 0.83
100 0.90

The fastest 10-meter split ever recorded in any race is 0.82 seconds -- and he matched it for three consecutive splits (nobody had ever had that split for the 60-70 or 70-80 splits, but he did). MAYBE he could have maintained it for the 80-90 split, but almost certainly not any faster than 0.82. And the fastest final 10 split ever recorded is 0.85. Again, maybe he could have come close to maintaining his speed, but it wouldn't have been any faster than 0.82. That means he was at most 0.09 off his minimum time possible IF he had been able to maintain his peak 10-meter speed for the final 50 meters (which has never been accomplished by anyone). That puts him no lower than 9.60 if he went all out over the final 20 meters and somehow maintained a 0.82 split. Most likely, it wouldn't have been any lower than 9.62.

If Bolt ever does break 9.62, it'll almost certainly be because he had a better reaction time and faster start.

 

[AdamJT13]

I dunno 'bout that -- Walker had that stiff legged style of running, I can't imagine that would be conducive to being that fast. But as I said before, the physics behind running fast are weird, so who knows?

He ran the 100 meters in 10.22 seconds when he was at Georgia. As a freshman in 1982, he took seventh in the NCAA finals in 10.30 seconds. And in the U.S. nationals that year, he took fifth in 10.38 seconds. So yeah, Herschel was that fast.

 

[AdamJT13]

Really other than Hines I can't think of anyone they did miss.

Curtis Dickey, for sure. James Trapp. James Jett. Lam Jones.

Heck even guys like Terence Newman, Michael Bennett and Samie Parker are/were faster than some of the guys on the list. (Hester? Please.)

 

[Thomas82]

A meter is 39.37 inches not 3 yards.

Think of it this way, 100 meters is longer than 100 yards. A track is big enough to go around a football field.

 

[cowboysfan31]

Think of it this way, 100 meters is longer than 100 yards. A track is big enough to go around a football field.

Tracks that go all the way around a football field aren't 100 meters though, they're 400 meters. I've never seen a 100M sprint that had to round a corner.

 

[Q_the_man]

He didn't do much -- was that a qualification for being on the list? -- but he was in the NFL for a couple of seasons. He also held the world record in the 100 meters for 15 years and still has the fastest 100 meters ever run by anyone who ever played in the NFL -- 9.95 seconds.

Hines was a 6th round pick in the 1968 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, an American football team. Unfortunately, Hines did not have the football skills to match his speed and spent the '68 season on the taxi (practice) squad. He appeared in 10 games with Miami in 1969 catching just two passes for 23 yards, rushed the ball one time for seven yards and returned one kickoff for 22 yards. Hines then appeared in one game with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970. He never played pro football again

 

[AdamJT13]

Hines was a 6th round pick in the 1968 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, an American football team. Unfortunately, Hines did not have the football skills to match his speed and spent the '68 season on the taxi (practice) squad. He appeared in 10 games with Miami in 1969 catching just two passes for 23 yards, rushed the ball one time for seven yards and returned one kickoff for 22 yards. Hines then appeared in one game with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970. He never played pro football again

And like I said, he remains the fastest player ever to play in the NFL. If there wasn't a minimum level of success needed to qualify for the list, then he should be No. 1.

 

[BuckyG]

Where was Herschel? He was a world class sprinter also.

Walker was indeed a burner, particularly for his size.

A few other guys they missed, not all of whom were particularly good football players, but definitely world-class sprinters and worthy of consideration of top ten status:

Earl McCulloch--world record holder in the 120 yard hurdles (run in yards back in the day), member of USC's world record 440 relay (also in yards back then)

Renaldo Nehemiah--world record holder in the 110 meter hurdles

Jim Hines--1968 Olympic Gold Medalist and world record holder in the 100 meters--played a couple of years in the NFL, caught a handful of passes.

O.J. Simpson--another member of USC's world record 440 relay, teammate of Earl McCulloch

Homer Jones--the prototype modern receiver; big (6-2, 205) and fast (9.3 in the 100 yard dash when 9.1 was the world record). And invented the TD spike!

Tony Simmons--10.2 100 meters in college, IIRC, played a few years for the Pats and other teams.

Couple of other Cowboys of note, both Mel Renfro and Mike Gaechter were members of University of Oregon's 1962 world record setting 440 relay. I'd also submit that Tony Dorsett was as fast as any running back I've ever seen. But without doubt, Bob Hayes is the fastest man to ever play pro football (who could actually play).

 

[joseephuss]

I don't think Bo was any faster than Walker was. We didn't get Walker at his absolute best. Both were fast. In comparing athletes with their own era, Hayes was the fastest ever IMO. I still remember that anchor leg in the Olympics as if it were yesterday. I don't know how fast Hayes would be now. Still very fast esp when he first played.

Dallas had Herschel during his prime. They got him in 1986 when he was 24 years old. He was at his best in those days and Landry knew how to use him. Hershel produced with an average line, no top receiver and Steve Peuller at QB. If Herschel had played 10 years in Landry's offense he would have been a Hall of Famer.

 

[cowboys2233]

He ran the 100 meters in 10.22 seconds when he was at Georgia. As a freshman in 1982, he took seventh in the NCAA finals in 10.30 seconds. And in the U.S. nationals that year, he took fifth in 10.38 seconds. So yeah, Herschel was that fast.

If you noticed, I italicized "that," which points to the fact that I was referencing a previous post that suggested that Walker was just as fast as Bo Jackson. None of the times you just put up (10.22, 10.30, 10.38) are fast enough to match the 4.12 forty time that Bo Jackson apparently put up.

IOW, I was comparing Walker to Jackson, based on the only information I have, which is this questionable 4.12 forty. Nevertheless, based on that information, Walker wasn't that fast. It's still amazing that he ran as fast as he did with that unorthodox running style, amazing.

 

[Hostile]

Let's not forget that a yard and a meter are 2 different distances.

3 feet = 1 yard
3 yards = 1 meter

It used to be the 100 yard dash. Then it become the 100 meter dash, which by your math would be 300 yards. Making it 100 meters added just over 10 yards to the race and about a second depending on the runner.

That means you believe these guys covered that added 200 yards (your math) in around a second.

That's acceleration!

 

[Hostile]

Curtis Dickey, for sure. James Trapp. James Jett. Lam Jones.

Heck even guys like Terence Newman, Michael Bennett and Samie Parker are/were faster than some of the guys on the list. (Hester? Please.)

Hester is the only one I would really question on this list. Jett would definitely get at least a mention.

I agree with you that Hines is an oversight, but again, most people have never heard of him. That could be the reason why he was excluded. I don't remember Dickey being that fast. I suppose he was. Tony Dorsett was pretty fast as well, and we both know Herschell Walker was unreal fast.

It is an interesting list.

 

[TNCowboy]

Let's not forget that a yard and a meter are 2 different distances.

3 feet = 1 yard
3 yards = 1 meter

Heaven help us all....

 

[Mr.davon24]

I could name a few... Jones- Drew, Sproles, Rossum, B.nice Sanders, Willie Parker, T.O , Sock em bop em Steve Smith , Tony D., Terry G, Both Ismails and crybaby D.Falls Ok I am done

 

[AdamJT13]

If you noticed, I italicized "that," which points to the fact that I was referencing a previous post that suggested that Walker was just as fast as Bo Jackson. None of the times you just put up (10.22, 10.30, 10.38) are fast enough to match the 4.12 forty time that Bo Jackson apparently put up.

Those 100-meter times are infinitely more legitimate than a hand-held 4.12 for the 40. And Bo Jackson ran track at Auburn. His PR in the 100 was 10.39 seconds.

 

[cowboys2233]

Those 100-meter times are infinitely more legitimate than a hand-held 4.12 for the 40. And Bo Jackson ran track at Auburn. His PR in the 100 was 10.39 seconds.

Ah, that's the info I was looking for. A little surprised it wasn't faster. I've decided that any forty run by a prospective NFL player under 4.25 is not legitimate. And anything under a 4.3 is VERY questionable.

So yes, Herschel was that fast. :LOL