The Freaks Come Out In Indianapolis – NFL Combine

Yes, it’s that time again. There will be 329 NFL draft prospects that will converge on Indianapolis over the next several days to put their talents on display. They all have the same dream – to be drafted by an NFL team. Whether or not they are drafted and in which round is related to their performances on a number of different physical and mental tests.

The physical tests are pretty straightforward. The NFL has long used the 40-yard dash as the measure of a prospect’s speed. The 225-pound bench press rep test has been the measure of upper-body strength. There are also the vertical jump, broad jump, pro shuttle, and a number of other less exciting combine drills in which the prospects participate.

Each year, there are some pretty extraordinary performances. It’s not every day that you see a 4.3 40-yard dash. When someone clocks under 4.30, it’s legendary. How about 35 reps on the bench test? An 11-foot broad jump? The only athletes that record these numbers are freaks. Here’s a look at the best of them in NFL combine history.

Fastest 40 in History

If you don’t know Bo, look up Bo. That would be Bo Jackson, an absolute freak of an athlete who ended up playing in the NFL and in MLB. Jackson measured in at the 1986 NFL Combine – which was nothing like it is today – at 6-feet-1-inches tall and 230 pounds. He ran an unofficial, hand-timed 4.12 in the 40-yard dash. 

It was reported that Jackson ran an electronic-timed 4.13 at an Auburn pro day workout. He also ran the 100 meters for Auburn during his freshman and sophomore years in college. He clocked a personal best 10.39. 

Prime Time Drops Mic

Just a few years later in 1989, Deion “Prime Time” Sanders traveled to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. Again, it was nothing like the spectacle it is today. Sanders went to Indy for one reason – to show coaches and scouts that, yes, he really was that fast.

Sanders was the best lock-down cornerback in the country and he was incredibly dangerous as a kick returner. That was because of his speed. Legend has it that Sanders traveled to the then-RCA Dome in a stretch limousine. He told the driver he’d be right back.

Sanders went into the stadium and ran a single 40-yard dash. Scouts were still hand-timing 40s at this point. Four watches clocked Sanders and two of them had him at 4.27. Sanders said he felt so good it was like he was walking on air. In the ultimate drop-mic moment, Sanders just kept running…right out of the stadium…got into the limo and left.

You can watch Deion tell the story HERE. 

Setting the Standard

By 2008, the NFL was using fully electronic timing for the 40-yard dash test. Chris Johnson was a 5-11, 197-pound running back out of East Carolina. He had a solid career at ECU and was projected to be a second- to third-round draft pick in the 2008 NFL draft.

Then, he ran his 40-yard dash. Johnson set a record that stood until 2017 when he clocked 4.24. Washington WR John Ross would go on to break that record when he clocked 4.22 in 2017. Xavier Worthy, who now plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, broke the record just last year when he ran 4.21. Johnson, Ross, and Worthy all ended up being first-round draft picks as a result of their 40 time.

Size & Speed

Some of the speed on display every year at the NFL combine is ridiculous. It’s even more impressive when it’s a larger athlete. One of the freakiest combinations of size, strength, and speed showed up in Indianapolis in 2006. Vernon Davis played college football at the University of Maryland and he was one of the best tight ends in the nation.

At the 2006 combine, Davis measured 6-3¼ and 254 pounds. He ran the 40 in 4.38 seconds, recorded a 42-inch vertical jump, and then bench pressed 225 pounds 33 times. It was an incredible display of strength and speed. Davis was picked No. 6 overall by the San Francisco 49ers. He would play until retiring in 2019.

The Ultimate Freak

DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf showed up at the NFL Combine in 2019 looking like a statue of a Greek god. You probably know him as DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks. It’s not everyday that a wide receiver is 6-3⅜ and 228 pounds, but that’s what Metcalf measured at the combine (he’s listed now at 235). 

Metcalf had barely any body fat and looked chiseled like a bodybuilder. His fast twitch muscles were on fire at the combine. At that size, Metcalf clocked a 4.33 40-yard dash. His vertical jump measured 40.5 inches and his broad jump was 11 feet-2 inches. For good measure, Metcalf the wide receiver benched 225 pounds 27 times. He was drafted in the second round by Seattle and has been a star ever since.

From Combine to the Hall

 At 6-0¾, Aaron Donald was undersized for an NFL defensive lineman. He weighed in at the combine at 285 pounds and probably would have been overlooked if not for his performance in Indianapolis. Donald would run the 40-yard dash in a running-back like 4.68 seconds before he did 35 reps with 225 pounds on the bench. Donald would go on to become a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and, when the time comes, he may find his bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

The same may be said for Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, who now owns a Super Bowl ring, a Rookie of the Year Award, and an Offensive Player of the Year Award. Before the 2018 NFL draft, he was just another running back that might get drafted in the first round. Then, at 6-feet, 233 pounds, Barkley put on a show in Indianapolis. He ran a 4.40 40, recorded a 41-inch vertical jump, and did 29 reps on the 225-pound bench. He moved up the draft charts and was selected No. 2 by the New York Giants.