Both speeds were quicker than the official time of Hall of Fame cornerback and two-sport standout Deion Sanders in 1989, which was 4.27. These are genuinely incredible, fast times set by top athletes. However, another two-sport standout, Bo Jackson, may have set the quickest pre-draft 40-yard sprint mark. His time of 4.14 is currently ranked third all-time.
In terms of overall speed, it's hard to say who was faster because we don't have accurate records from before the 40-yard dash became a common practice at the NFL level. In fact, no one has run a sub-5-minute mile until Nowlin's 903-meter race last year. That said, there are some indications that Bo was more explosive. For example, he completed several other foot races with distances up to 200 yards that others didn't even finish. Additionally, research shows that men with higher levels of testosterone tend to be faster over short distances. Since Bo had much higher levels of testosterone than Deion, this could help explain why he was faster.
However, since both men competed in many different types of events, this doesn't necessarily prove that Bo was faster than Deion. Only they can answer this question, but based on their careers we would guess that Bo was indeed faster.
Ross ran a 4.22 in the 2017 Combine in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium. Ross also has a basketball career as a shooting guard/small forward; his current job is with the Dallas Mavericks.
Deion Sanders' football career was even more impressive. In his only season in the NFL, he was voted Rookie of the Year after setting records for most yards from scrimmage (1,719) and receiving touchdowns (16). He also returned kicks and played all 16 games for the Atlanta Falcons. When it was all said and done, Deion Sanders earned All-Pro honors and was named to the Pro Bowl after recording 115 receptions for 1,697 yards and 28 touchdowns.
In terms of speed, they were equal. Ross was just a few steps behind Deion when he shifted gears from running to playing defense. They both had lightning quick feet, but once Deion switched to defense, he actually got the better of Ross because defenses can load the box with players on the ball while Ross would have been one-on-one against a linebacker or a defensive back. Although Ross did run a 4.22 40-yard dash, that's not really indicative of his overall speed because he stopped so early on defense.
Deion Sanders may have ran the quickest 40-yard sprint in combine history. But it was what occurred afterwards that made the man a legend. Watch the top ten plays from Julio Jones' career thus far. View the top ten kicks from Adam Vinatieri's famous career. See the top ten tackles from Brian Dawkins' legendary career.
These are just three of many great plays from some of the greatest players in NFL history. There are also ten worst fumbles from around the league this year. Check out the list here!
In conclusion, Deion Sanders was the fastest player in the 40-yard dash but he is not the only one who has been praised for their speed. The 40-yard dash is only one tool used to evaluate football players and it is not the most important one. Speed is very important in sports and many great players have been known to be slow at times. This shows that you should never judge a book by its cover. There are also many players that could not run fast but became great ones later in life. Thus, running fast is not necessary for success in football or any other sport for that matter.
Record/Fastest Times in the NFL Scouting Combine 40-Yard Dash
4.13 sec. Bo Jackson/40-yard dash.
Jackson ran a 4.13 second 40-yard dash at his 1985 Heisman ceremony to win the award over Syracuse's Howard Jones (3.88). That time still stands as the best by a defensive player and is the third fastest time ever. It's also the fastest time by more than a quarter of a second.
Bo Jackson was a three-sport star in college, including track & field. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1985 as a wide receiver for the USC Trojans. After graduating from USC with honors, he went on to have a long career in baseball. The Atlanta Braves selected him with the first pick of the 1986 MLB draft. He played all forms of baseball throughout his career but was most famous for his work in football and basketball. He ended his career after the 2010 season with the Kansas City Royals. Today, he has had health issues related to steroid use during his career.
In February 2009, Bo Jackson came out of retirement to play for the Richmond Ironmen of the Professional Football Athletic Society. The game was held in Hampton, Virginia and was televised on ESPN.
Furthermore, Sanders ran a 4.21, whereas Green ran a 4.15, according to statisticbrain.com. For several years in a row, Green was recognized as the league's quickest player, grabbing swift running backs like Eric Dickerson and Tony Dorsett at the last second to prevent a score. He also intercepted nine passes during his career.
When it came to receiving, neither were complete monsters. In fact, both players had relatively quiet careers when you consider they were involved in so many big plays. However, what Green did have was speed to burn. He averaged nearly 20 yards per catch during his career and scored 16 touchdowns. That's more than anyone else in NFL history except for Jerry Rice.
As for Sanders, he was more of a possession receiver who caught 77% of his targets. But even so, he still managed to haul in 940 yards and eight scores.
In conclusion, there's no clear-cut winner here. Both players were amazing athletes who contributed much to their teams on any given Sunday. But if we had to pick one over the other, we'd go with Green every time. He has the edge due to his speed and his ability to make big plays.
Deion Sanders, one of the most exciting athletes in sports history, signed with the New York Yankees after being picked by the Falcons in the 1989 NFL draft. He became the only athlete in history to hit a home run and score a touchdown in the same seven-day span while playing for both clubs. The Yankees released him before the start of the season.
Yes, he did exactly that. On April 12th, 1989, the Atlanta Braves were playing the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. With two outs in the ninth inning and the score tied at 3. Gennie Mackenzie was pitching for the Giants when Sanders came to the plate with a man on base and knocked out a double down the left field line. In the bottom of the ninth, with Sanders on second base, Jeff Blauser scored the winning run when he hit a ball that went over the head of shortstop Ozzie Guillén and into center field for an easy triple.
The next day, the Atlanta Falcons played the New York Jets in a preseason game at Fulton County Stadium. With 1:50 remaining in the first quarter, Sanders took a handoff from Tony Robinson and ran it in for a touchdown. He ended up having a very successful career with the Falcons and Yankees after going number 21 overall in the 1989 NFL draft.
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