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ShareThisUsain Bolt and NFL combine 40 times
Let me preface this by saying that almost every single word of what I'm about to write could potentially be incorrect. I don't really know what I'm talking about. Possibly the most reliable source I've used here is Wikipedia, if that tells you anything.
But you guys will help correct me if I say something really stupid, right?
It all starts with a message board post from a guy I don't know that I saw linked from another message board.
Usain Bolt's splits during the Olympic 100m race
RT 0.165 10m 1.85 20m 2.87 (1.02) 30m 3.78 (0.91) 40m 4.65 (0.87) 50m 5.50 (0.85) 60m 6.32 (0.82) 70m 7.14 (0.82) 80m 7.96 (0.82) 90m 8.79 (0.83) 100m 9.69 (0.90)
30m is 32.8084 yards. So he needs to cover 7.1916 more yards from there.
He ran from 30m to 40m in .87 seconds, or .087 seconds per meter, or .0795528 seconds per yard. But he wasn't at top speed yet. So the first 7 yards of that would have been slightly slower than the average of the full ten meters, but faster than the .0832 seconds per yard at which he ran from meter 20 to meter 30. So let's say he averaged a nice round .08 seconds per yard. Multiply that by 7.1916 and you get .575. Add that to his 30m split and you're at 4.35 or 4.36.
So unless I've done something wrong, we have the following:
At 40 yards of the actual Olympic 100m race, Bolt was at 4.35 or 4.36
But wait...
His reaction time was .165. My understanding is that the combine 40 is timed from the runner's actual start rather than from a gun. So if this were in an NFL combine setting, that reaction time would be gone and he'd be at 4.19.
But wait...
There are no starting blocks at the NFL combine. And my understanding is that this particular Olympic track is the fastest around. Those two things would push his NFL combine time up over 4.2, maybe up to 4.25 or even 4.3.
But wait...
If he were training specifically for the 40, he might be able to do some things somewhat differently to shave a few hundredths off.
I hereby declare that Bolt would run a 4.22 at the combine.
Chris Johnson ran a 4.24 at this year's combine. Does that make my Bolt estimate seem too high? Or does it mean that the timing at the combine is inexact or inconsistent or just plain generous? Could be either one --- or both --- but I'm not totally sure the two figures are incompatible. It was around the halfway point that Bolt really blew everyone else away; I don't even think he was leading at 40 yards. So it's not clear to me that Chris Johnson couldn't hang close to him for 40 yards.
This entry was posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 at 3:44 am and is filed under NFL Draft, Non-football. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Thanks for a very interesting post and good comments. I found this while debating Jonah Lomu's hypothetical NFL career with someone. For those who are not familiar with him he's widely considered to be the best rugby player of all time and was incredibly fast for a huge guy (NFL fans might enjoy watching his highlights on Youtube).
After reading all of the comments I just wanna add two things.
1) No NFL player would be able to compete with Usain Bolt in 100m dash. That is a certainty. He makes all the other sprinters look pedestrian and these are the best athletes the world has to offer who spent their whole life training to run 100m. What seems like mere milliseconds in times result in clear cut wins in sprinting where Bolt absolutely blows away the field every time he runs.
2) Bolt has absolutely no reason to play in the NFL because as difficult it is for most Americans to believe no one outside the US gives a crap about American football. As someone mentioned it is a provincial sport meaning that it's only popular in a limited area (in this case USA and somewhat Canada). Usain does not have anything to prove to the rest of the world. He is already considered to be one of the greatest athletes ever and has no financial incentive to try and play in the NFL either because he makes a boatload of money already. On top of all this Bolt himself stated that he has no interest in playing in the NFL because he'd be risking getting seriously injured in a very physical sport. Why in the world would he do that when he's already making a killing in financial terms and has the status of one of the greatest athletes ever? To prove something to NFL obsessed Americans? Please.
But wait...
Bolt practically jogs the final 10 meters of his 100s and 200s, yet he still breaks records. If he gave it his all, I'm sure he would have a much lower time than 4.22.
But wait...
Usain is a great runner, I have nothing wrong with him, but if he got hit once by an NFL corner, he would be done for the season.
But wait...
Injuring him for an entire season, means he won't be running for a while.
But wait...
No more running means no more endorsements.
But wait...
No more endorsements, means no more fame.
But wait...
No more fame, leaves people two years later asking, "Who the hell is Usain Bolt?"
Actually Chris Johnson Was quoted on espn after his game I believe against the rams saying he wouldnt run Bolt in the 100m because he wasnt even close. Maybe in the
40yd dash but not 100m.
Usain Bolt runs in spikes. On speed-engineered tracks. After years of sprint-specific coaching. In races where he's pushed by other world-class sprinters. So, SURE players at the combine in football shoes, running alone, on field turf are going to put up better 40 times.
Please people. Use the brains God gave you.
All I want to see is the two of them get on the track (AND) field and race. And who ever wins is the fastest
I am a 14 year old football player and i couldnt believe your outcome. I calculated he can run 40 yards in 3.68678 seconds. You chose the slowest times, if you realize that he ran faster from 60m-100m much faster is because he was pacing himself in the beginning. It took him 3.37 seconds to run those 40m. so take that and divide it by 40 and you now have .08425 seconds per meter, to get to one yard, you multiply .08425 by 1.094 and you get .0921695 seconds per yard. When you multiply that by 40yds you get 3.68678 seconds to run 40yds.
Danny Barreto Says:
July 20th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
I am a 14 year old football player and i couldnt believe your outcome. I calculated he can run 40 yards in 3.68678 seconds. You chose the slowest times, if you realize that he ran faster from 60m-100m much faster is because he was pacing himself in the beginning. It took him 3.37 seconds to run those 40m. so take that and divide it by 40 and you now have .08425 seconds per meter, to get to one yard, you multiply .08425 by 1.094 and you get .0921695 seconds per yard. When you multiply that by 40yds you get 3.68678 seconds to run 40yds.
==============
Danny, by taking the 60m - 100m times, you're assuming he could reach top speed instantaneously. There will always be a slower time at the beginning of a run as a runner goes from stopped to moving.
Its hard to say which man has run the fastest 40 yd.dash,but there is no doubt,bullet Bob Hayes,is the fastest man ever to play in the NFL.Hayes was the world record holder in the 60 yd dash at 5.9 sec.100 yd. dash at 9.1 sec. Hayes had 5 9.1 clockings in one year 1963.Between 1962-1964,Hayes was undefeated in 49 consecutive sprints 60yds.100yds,and 100 meters,bullet bob ran as fast as needed to win.At the Tokoyo Olmpics,4 by 100 meters relay finals,Bobs was clocked at 8.6 sec.for his wining anchor leg.It is considered by most experts as the fastest 100 meters of all time,considering he was running on a cinder track,and with out todays better shoes&aerodynamic suits.Fastest human ever bobhayes.
Perfect examples: Michael Irwin ran 4.7, Vince Young runs 4.5...Many people misinterpret the relevance of 40 times. They assume a 4.2 is way faster than a 4.7. Technically it is, but line up in front of Irwin and try to stop him from catching a pass, then be strong enough to drag him down before he gets the few inches of separation he needs to get the first down. A 4.7 is fast! Similarly, Lot's of corner backs in college run 4.3's but they couldn't stop Vince because they weren't racing him, they had to somehow break down and form tackle him as he was gliding by on ice skates(!), extremely hard to do because of his amazing balance and relaxed agility. Also when you factor in the determination of any given competitive moment; you've got guys on a football field going supersonic in any given instance based on a desire to get to the goal line! Deion Sanders said it best when asked "How fast are you?" His Response: "As fast as I need to be!"