“This is the 40” could be the name of a Judd Apatow comedy as a spinoff of a spinoff, but instead it’s just the moment that will make or break some hopes of NFL draft prospects. Though it seems trivial to so many people that follow football but don’t necessarily understand why the Combine matters, there is still no denying that it does.
NFL Combine 2013: Speed and strength records will be put to the test
An Olympic athlete and a “Monster” are among a few NFL hopefuls that could look to break records in Indy this year. Find out who could become a Combine legend.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Even if you think that it is meaningless to future success if a player runs the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds or 4.45 seconds, it could still literally be the difference between being drafted and not being drafted. Call it a necessary evil if you must, but certain feats of speed and strength are the only focus of many hopefuls between now and April. While the Combine is running from February 20 to February 26, some prospects will see their NFL chances skyrocket and some will see them crushed.
Then, for the select few, they will join a small pantheon of those that get their names written in the Combine record books. Unfortunately, that still doesn’t necessarily translate to success at the next level. Still, there are at least a few names that could challenge the record books.
The fastest-ever recorded 40-yard dash at the Combine was ran by East Carolina running back Chris Johnson, who finished in 4.24 seconds. You may know him better as "CJ2K" or "The guy that ruined my fantasy season" but back in 2008, he was the player that jumped his draft stock immensely and was eventually taken by the Titans with the 24th overall pick. (Unofficially, Bo Jackson ran a 4.12 that nobody could ever believe unless it was actually official. Though in reality, no times at the Combine are 100% official. Bo knows official.)
But just because Bo became Bo and Johnson had a 2,000-yard season, it doesn’t mean you are destined for stardom. Eastern Kentucky wide receiver Rondel Melendez ran a 4.24 40-yard dash in 1999 and that is all he will ever be known for by football fans. Other players to run in less than 4.30 seconds:
Stanford Routt, 2005 - 4.27
Champ Bailey, 1999 - 4.28
Jacoby Ford, 2010 - 4.28
Jerome Mathis, 2005 - 4.28
Deion Sanders, 1989 - 4.28
DeMarcus Van Dyke, 2011 - 4.28
Jay Hinton, 1999 - 4.29
Fabian Washington, 2005 - 4.29
You’ll notice that you notice some of those names. You’ll also notice that you’ve never heard of a few others. Or that the Al Davis is licking his chops at this list from the other side. It doesn’t mean that a player will go onto a Hall of Fame career, but it doesn’t hurt either. At least one 2013 NFL Draft-eligible player will be giving it his best shot to break the record. No big deal, he was in the Olympics last summer.
Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin has already seen his stock rise at the Senior Bowl and there's talk that he could definitely top Johnson's 4.24 time when he gets on the turf in Lucas Oil Stadium. Last summer, Goodwin was a long-jumper on the U.S. Olympic Track & Field team. This summer, he'll probably be in mini-camp for some NFL team trying to refine his football skills. Just where he gets to go though could depend a lot on his showing at the Combine.
However, there’s a longer-standing record than Johnson’s 4.24 (unless you believe Jackson’s 4.12) that could fall next week in Indianapolis: the 225-lb bench press.
Only one player has ever topped 50 reps of 225 pounds and his name is Justin Ernest, a defensive tackle that was coming out of Eastern Kentucky. (What the heck were they feeding their kids in Kentucky back in '99?) Ernest pushed up the big weight an incredible 51 times. Unbelievably, with as big as NFL players are, nobody else has ever topped it. Stephen Paea of Oregon State went up for 49 times in 2011, but only 15 athletes have ever even topped 40 reps.
Last year, Dontari Poe put up 44 reps and was drafted 11th overall by the Chiefs after an all-around impressive showing at the Combine. Could anyone possibly challenge the 51 reps of Ernest, or even top 40 again this year?
Yes, indeed someone could.
Jesse Williams of Alabama, also known as “The Monster”, could finally be the person that unseats Ernest, a defensive tackle that went undrafted and lasted less than one season in the pros. Williams reportedly benches as much as 600 pounds and could very well challenge 50 reps this year. The unusual thing about Williams is that he grew up in Australia as a rugby and basketball player before he started playing football at the age of 15. A few years later, thanks to his massive size, he’s winning a National Championship at Alabama.
Now he’s headed to the Combine with a chance to show off his freak athleticism and possibly even break some records as he tries to impress NFL teams enough to take him in the first round.
For Williams and Goodwin, we already know that they’re incredible athletes. Really, it’s polishing their skills during the game that’s going to be most helpful for NFL execs and coaches to see on draft day. What they do at Combine is really just a formality.
That is, unless, they break a record.
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