Carl Lewis long jump comments

[gm]

I dunno, the Lewis I saw run 6.03 55m on a fairly crappy board track in Dallas in '83 could probably knock out a damn fast 40.

[jazzcyclist]

I think we can all agree that Asafa Powell is a guy with NFL size who would have no problem running a 4.2.

[user4]

Houston, come in Houston, over (beep)..........!

NCAA Indoor Champs 2016.....
9 Roelf Pienaar JR Arkansas State 7.56m (24-9¾ ) 1 (9)
10 Travonn White SO Oregon 7.43m (24-4½ ) 1 (10)
11 Ifeanyichukwu Otuonye SR Kansas State 7.39m (24-3 ) 1 (11)
12 Jared Belardo FR Wichita State 7.34m (24-1 ) 1 (12)
13 Julian Harvey JR SIU-Edwardsville 7.30m (23-11½ ) 1 (13)
14 Kenneth Fisher JR Bethune-Cookman 7.22m (23-8¼ ) 1 (14)
15 Bilal Abdullah SR Kennesaw State 7.07m (23-2½ ) 1 (15)
16 Steven Barze JR SE Louisiana 6.87m (22-6½ ) 1 (16)

wow,that is a very sad bottom half to an NCAA championship. While Im skeptical that there are 28+ LJers lurking on every NFL/NBA team, these results remind us of the horrible participation levels in the mens LJ.

[user4]

One person who could have never run 4.2 is Carl Lewis, and he might have even struggled to run 4.3.

agree completely, but watching that Olympic 1984 final 100m, he was a man among boys at any distance greater than 80m.

The King was unmatched. Everything he was predicted to be at 12 years of age he was and far more.

https://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=7fg-fz8ugF4

The guy in lane 4 looks like an NFL running back that could break 4.4.

[jazzcyclist]

One person who could have never run 4.2 is Carl Lewis, and he might have even struggled to run 4.3.

[beebee]

Many of the NFL guys are bulked because it is a necessity to play pro football.
To judge a footballer training for football by track standards is pretty disingenuous.

There are all types of potential track and field stars in the NFL...and some in the NBA.

[einnod23]

Houston, come in Houston, over (beep)..........!

NCAA Indoor Champs 2016.....
1 Jarrion Lawson SR Arkansas 7.95m (26-1 ) 1 (4)
2 Jonathan Addison SR NC State 7.93m (26-¼ ) 1 (2)
3 Stefan Brits SR Florida State 7.73m (25-4½ ) 1 (1)
4 KeAndre Bates SO Florida 7.73m (25-4½ ) 1 (7)
5 Andreas Trajkovski JR Arkansas 7.72m (25-4 ) 1 (6)
6 Eric Sloan JR USC 7.69m (25-2¾ ) 1 (3)
7 Will Williams SO Texas A&M 7.67m (25-2 ) 1 (5)
8 Corey Crawford SR Rutgers 7.59m (24-11 ) 1 (8)
9 Roelf Pienaar JR Arkansas State 7.56m (24-9¾ ) 1 (9)
10 Travonn White SO Oregon 7.43m (24-4½ ) 1 (10)
11 Ifeanyichukwu Otuonye SR Kansas State 7.39m (24-3 ) 1 (11)
12 Jared Belardo FR Wichita State 7.34m (24-1 ) 1 (12)
13 Julian Harvey JR SIU-Edwardsville 7.30m (23-11½ ) 1 (13)
14 Kenneth Fisher JR Bethune-Cookman 7.22m (23-8¼ ) 1 (14)
15 Bilal Abdullah SR Kennesaw State 7.07m (23-2½ ) 1 (15)
16 Steven Barze JR SE Louisiana 6.87m (22-6½ ) 1 (16)

[user4]

Because of that I suspect there are quite a few guys in the 130lb to 165lb category that are 4.2 guys. It would be great if the NFL initiated a 40yard dash competition, cash awards etc. They would come out of the woodwork... Worthless to an Nfl team trying to win but great marketing value.

[jazzcyclist]

The top 10 NFL combine 40 yd list you posted had quite a few very, maybe 6, small light guys, guys that are not typical NFL athletes. That is a size that is abundant in the general population. I suspect this is an indication that the 40 yards dash is a sprint that favors smaller lighter guys.

That's a pretty good assessment. Here's the analysis on Dri Archer who's #2 on the all-time list:

"Very short and rail thin with no strength or running power. Not a tackle-breaker and goes down easy on contact. Limited inside runner. Can be knocked off routes easily and struggles catching on contact."

[Atticus]

Herb Washington, who would have lasted 4 nanoseconds in the NFL, would have the 40y mark today IMO. When he ran on the indoor circuit, there were several other hyper-quick dudes, yet he almost always had a clear lead at 20y and was holding on at 60y. His 40y would have been phenomenal.

[user4]

The top 10 NFL combine 40 yd list you posted had quite a few very, maybe 6, small light guys, guys that are not typical NFL athletes. That is a size that is abundant in the general population. I suspect this is an indication that the 40 yards dash is a sprint that favors smaller lighter guys.

[jazzcyclist]

You're correct when you conclude that not many can run 4.25 since only one person has done it in the last 11 years. IMO, the combine-to-track conversion is a wash. In other words, the reaction time is negated by the starting blocks, shoes and running surface.

One thing I've observed over the many years I've spent watching track & field is that in championship meets, there's usually very little separation between 100-meter sprinters at the 36.5m mark. Usain Bolt separates himself from the pack in the last 63.5m, not the first 36.5, so it doesn't surprise me at all that a half dozen football players out of thousands, including three with bona fide elite track and field credentials, ran 36.5m as fast as Olympic finalists.

http://www.nfl.com/combine/top-performers#year=2006-2007-2008-2009-2010-2011-2012-2013-2014-2015-2016&workout=FORTY_YARD_DASH&position=QB-RB-WR-TE-S-DL-LB-CB-OL-SPEC

[26mi235]

SAT, means semi-automatic timing? Starts at motion and finish with eye or with camera at the line? If so, a 4.25 is really a 4.40 sprint time? Add another 0.35 for the 40m and you are at 4.75, and now subtract for the surface and shoes, how much? Adding 0.90 for each 10m gets you to 6.55, which is pretty damn quick and if you use 0.86 instead you are below 6.50, which I do not think these guys can run, so where is the piece that is missing?

[jazzcyclist]

The NFL combine 40yard dash should not be considered a real competition in the 40yard dash. It is a competion among men that are selected for a wide range of abilities. Even among the WRs and RBs the athletes have to have an additional set of skills .

I suspect there are smaller lighter guys out there that could run 4.2 but they are not nfl caliber football players like Chris Johnson. The real rarity is the 215 lb Georgia RB that just ran 4.31.

Who are your candidates? 2009 NCAA 100 champion and 2007 USATF 100 runner-up Trindon Holliday is probably no bigger than Mike Rogers, has limited receiver skills, but he only managed 4.34 at the Combine. Jacoby Ford, who won the 2009 NCAA 60 with a time of 6.51 which is #5 on the all-time NCAA low-altitude list, barely cracked 4.3 with a time of 4.28. Keep in mind that athletes only get to run at the Combine once in their life, which for most is between age 20 to 23, they aren't allowed to come back in later years to improve their time.

[user4]

The NFL combine 40yard dash should not be considered a real competition in the 40yard dash. It is a competion among men that are selected for a wide range of abilities. Even among the WRs and RBs the athletes have to have an additional set of skills .

I suspect there are smaller lighter guys out there that could run 4.2 but they are not nfl caliber football players like Chris Johnson. The real rarity is the 215 lb Georgia RB that just ran 4.31.