Top 10 All-Time Fastest Players in the NFL

[cowboys2233]

I ran track in high school and went up against the state champion. The guy ran a 10.3 and my top speed was a 10.9. Well, for the first 30 meters, I had him. After that...well....turned into one of the most humbling experiences in my life. Dude just glided past me in the next 40 meters like I was just standing still. So the point is, you can beat someone faster than you out the gates, but that doesn't make you faster overall.

Yes, I know. And I still stand by my point that there is no way is Bo Jackson still hanging with Usain Bolt at 40 yards. And now that Adam has posted an official track time for Bo Jackson, I'm convinced that there would be significant daylight between Usain Bolt and Bo Jackson at 40 yards.

 

[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.

Question: Did Donte Stallworth ever run track? I'd be curious what his 100 times were. Not sure if he could even make it through 100 meters without pulling a hammy, but he was one of those guys with a forty time that I seriously question.

 

[AdamJT13]

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.

Dickey ran a 10.11 in the 100 meters.

From the all-time list of the world's top 100-meter dash times (10.19 or faster), here are the only NFL players --

1. Jim Hines 9.95
T2. Bob Hayes 10.06
T2. Ron Brown 10.06
4. Alvis Whitted 10.07
5. Darrell Green 10.08
6. Sam Graddy 10.09
7. Willie Gault 10.10
8. Curtis Dickey 10.11
9. James Trapp 10.14
10. James Jett 10.16
T11. Michael Bates 10.17
T11. Sultan McCullough 10.17
T13. Michael Bennett 10.18
T13. Samie Parker 10.18

That's the entire list. Terence Newman (10.20) would be tied for next on the all-time list. Plenty of other guys (Deion, Bo, Herschel, Moss, Hester, Branch, etc.) ran track and never managed to crack 10.20.

 

[Hostile]

Dickey ran a 10.11 in the 100 meters.

From the all-time list of the world's top 100-meter dash times (10.19 or faster), here are the only NFL players --

1. Jim Hines 9.95
T2. Bob Hayes 10.06
T2. Ron Brown 10.06
4. Alvis Whitted 10.07
5. Darrell Green 10.08
6. Sam Graddy 10.09
7. Willie Gault 10.10
8. Curtis Dickey 10.11
9. James Trapp 10.14
10. James Jett 10.16
T11. Michael Bates 10.17
T11. Sultan McCullough 10.17
T13. Michael Bennett 10.18
T13. Samie Parker 10.18

That's the entire list. Terence Newman (10.20) would be tied for next on the all-time list. Plenty of other guys (Deion, Bo, Herschel, Moss, Hester, Branch, etc.) ran track and never managed to crack 10.20.

Thanks Adam. That is an unreal list of times. It amazes me that all these guys including the can't crack 10.20 guys played in the NFL (at least a little). It truly gives you an idea of how Bob Hayes' speed transformed the NFL. Unless I am missing an obvious name, he is the first of any of these guys to make it in the NFL.

 

[cowboys2233]

Dickey ran a 10.11 in the 100 meters.

That's the entire list. Terence Newman (10.20) would be tied for next on the all-time list. Plenty of other guys (Deion, Bo, Herschel, Moss, Hester, Branch, etc.) ran track and never managed to crack 10.20.

Just out of curiosity, shouldn't we at least question the technology available 40 years ago, when Bob Hayes and Jim Hines ran these times? Or no?

 

[jcblanco22]

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.)

Here's another guy, and he played for the Cowboys as well- Jimmy Oliver. Gailey brought him for a look-see in '98 after he was let go by the Chargers. I remember reading he was timed sub 4.2 a few times.

 

[AdamJT13]

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.

Anything hand-timed is questionable anyway. Even the Combine 40s these days are hand-started.

 

[YosemiteSam]

1. Jim Hines 9.95
T2. Bob Hayes 10.06
T2. Ron Brown 10.06
4. Alvis Whitted 10.07
5. Darrell Green 10.08
6. Sam Graddy 10.09
7. Willie Gault 10.10
8. Curtis Dickey 10.11
9. James Trapp 10.14
10. James Jett 10.16
T11. Michael Bates 10.17
T11. Sultan McCullough 10.17
T13. Michael Bennett 10.18
T13. Samie Parker 10.18

What is this? A list of the slowest times ever? I could beat these numbers with a grand piano tied to my back.

 

[cowboys2233]

Anything hand-timed is questionable anyway. Even the Combine 40s these days are hand-started.

Which is ridiculous IMO. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry -- you think they might be able to afford the technology to make these combine times a little more legit. :laugh2:

 

[AdamJT13]

Just out of curiosity, shouldn't we at least question the technology available 40 years ago, when Bob Hayes and Jim Hines ran these times? Or no?

No, they had electronic timing and video back then. Hines set the world record with electronic timing, and nobody beat it for 15 years.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Which is ridiculous IMO. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry -- you think they might be able to afford the technology to make these combine times a little more legit. :laugh2:

I don't think exact times are of the utmost importance. I think the 40 times are really a general measurement of your overall speed. A 100th of a second isn't going to mean much on the field with pads on.

If it really mattered, they should force them to run these 40s with their pads on!

 

[cowboys2233]

I don't think exact times are of the utmost importance. I think the 40 times are really a general measurement of your overall speed. A 100th of a second isn't going to mean much on the field with pads on.

If it really mattered, they should force them to run these 40s with their pads on!

But I think one has to even question if these times are within 0.1 seconds of being real. And the fact that there is so much emphasis placed on Combine forty times, it does mean a lot to NFL teams. Their attention to this particular test tells me so.

 

[YosemiteSam]

But I think one has to even question if these times are within 0.1 seconds of being real. And the fact that there is so much emphasis placed on Combine forty times, it does mean a lot to NFL teams. Their attention to this particular test tells me so.

A 10th of a second can matter, it's the 100th that doesn't matter. (.01) I think a guy that has been doing this for years can manually stop a stopwatch within a 10th of a second of a mans true time.

 

[cowboys2233]

A 10th of a second can matter, it's the 100th that doesn't matter. (.01) I think a guy that has been doing this for years can manually stop a stopwatch within a 10th of a second of a mans true time.

I think the ranges you see on some of these times, plus completely false forty times like Bo Jackson's 4.12 forty would suggest otherwise. Based on Bo Jackson's best 100 meter time, we're probably talking 4.3 being much closer to reality for Bo. Randall Williams supposedly ran a sub 4.1 forty, which is completely ridiculous. So what you think isn't relevant, these highly questionable forty times, some of which are certainly outside of 0.1 seconds of being truly accurate, are.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I think the ranges you see on some of these times, plus completely false forty times like Bo Jackson's 4.12 forty would suggest otherwise. Based on Bo Jackson's best 100 meter time, we're probably talking 4.3 being much closer to reality for Bo. Randall Williams supposedly ran a sub 4.1 forty, which is completely ridiculous. So what you think isn't relevant, these highly questionable forty times, some of which are certainly outside of 0.1 seconds of being truly accurate, are.

Just an FYI. The 100M and 40YD are two different beasts and people train differently to run each. A man that is very fast out of the blocks can win a 40 yard dash while the guy slower out of the blocks but longer strides and a faster overall speed can win the 100M. You can't compare a mans 100M to his 40 times.

Bo Jackson was stupid fast. You are talking out of your *** declaring his time bull****. You have no idea whatsoever if he could have ran 4.12 or not.

 

[cowboys2233]

No, they had electronic timing and video back then. Hines set the world record with electronic timing, and nobody beat it for 15 years.

Fair enough. But how are they measuring stops and starts? With pressure pads or something? Are they using lasers across the finish lines now to get a more accurate reflection of when someone truly breaks the line? I really don't know the differences betwen today's technology and what was used back then, but I seem to recall seeing news every now and again about innovations in this area.

 

[cowboys2233]

Just an FYI. The 100M and 40YD are two different beasts and people train differently to run each. A man that is very fast out of the blocks can win a 40 yard dash while the guy slower out of the blocks but longer strides and a faster overall speed can win the 100M. You can't compare a mans 100M to his 40 times.

Thanks for stating the obvious, that has nothing to do with my point about hand-timed forties not being accurate within 0.1 seconds.

Bo Jackson was stupid fast. You are talking out of your *** declaring his time bull****. You have no idea whatsoever if he could have ran 4.12 or not.

Yeah, I do. Sorry you're late to the party, but Adam pointed out that Usain Bolt ran a 4.19 forty, breaking down his splits. And while I cannot verify that Bo Jackson didn't run a 4.12 forty, because I don't have his split-time info, the fact that his best 100 meter time was like 10.39 and Bolt's was 9.69, I can be pretty confident that he didn't. It's called "common sense," you should try using it some time. :laugh2:

 

[YosemiteSam]

For all of you that think Bo Jackson wasn't as fast as he is billed. Watch this video and watch him run away from defensive backs like their standing still.

Bo Jackson - Running Down a Dream

What made him stupid amazing wasn't just his speed. The fact that he was Marion Barber run over you powerful on top of his incredible speed.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Thanks for stating the obvious, that has nothing to do with my point about hand-timed forties not being accurate within 0.1 seconds.



Yeah, I do. Sorry you're late to the party, but Adam pointed out that Usain Bolt ran a 4.19 forty, breaking down his splits. And while I cannot verify that Bo Jackson didn't run a 4.12 forty, because I don't have his split-time info, the fact that his best 100 meter time was like 10.39 and Bolt's was 9.69, I can be pretty confident that he didn't. It's called "common sense," you should try using it some time. :laugh2:

As I noted earlier, split time doesn't matter as the two races are ran differently. (at least professionally they are) Split times are usually to analyze someones 100M segment by segment, not to determine how fast they run a 40.

 

[cowboys2233]

As I noted earlier, split time doesn't matter as the two races are ran differently. (at least professionally they are) Split times are usually to analyze someones 100M segment by segment, not to determine how fast they run a 40.

This type of data can be used for all kinds of things. Bo Jackson never ran a 4.12 forty, you're wrong. I'm sorry. Bo knows slow.