B1G's fastest 40-yard dash times in combine history
Break out your stopwatches. It’s 40-yard dash time.
The NFL Scouting Combine, which kicks off on Tuesday, will feature a new twist on the event’s most-watched drill. This year, adidas is awarding $1 million a player if it can break Chris Johnson’s 4.24-second 40-yard dash record at the combine.
Braxton Miller already came out and said that he wants to run a 4.28. If he could, that would be the fastest official, electric time for a B1G player in combine history (electrical timing wasn’t introduced at the combine until 1999, so these records only go back to that year, and only official times taken at the combine were counted).
Here’s a look at the top B1G 40-yard dash times at the combine since 1999:
T10. Bradley Roby, Ohio State CB — 4.39 (2014)
The Super Bowl-winning cornerback got a nice boost from his 40-time and was selected in the first round. In his two seasons in the NFL so far, Roby has been known more for making clutch plays than anything else.
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T10. Leon Hall, Michigan WR — 4.39 (2007)
The former Michigan All-American was a first-round draft pick and has been one of the league’s better cornerbacks since he broke in with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2007.
T10. Reggie Germany, Ohio State WR — 4.39 (2001)
Germany’s blistering 40-time earned him a seventh-round flier, but he was out of the league after just one season with Buffalo.
T10. Lee Evans, Wisconsin WR — 4.39 (2004)
One of the more accomplished players on this list, the former Badger was selected 13th overall and he racked up over 6,000 career receiving yards.
9. Billy Gustin, Purdue S — 4.38 (1999)
Despite his quick time, the former Boilermaker went undrafted. He was later signed by the Dallas Cowboys but he didn’t make the team and he ultimately continued his career in NFL Europe.
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T6. A.J. Jenkins, Illinois WR — 4.37 (2012)
Jenkins was a first-round pick out of Illinois after an impressive combine, but he was traded to the Chiefs after just one mostly inactive season with the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers. He didn’t have his first catch until 511 days after he was drafted and he wasn’t kept on a roster following the Chiefs’ decision to release him in February 2015.
T6. Tracy Porter, Indiana CB — 4.37 (2008)
The former Hoosier had the 10th-fastest 40-time in Indianapolis, and he was a solid second-round pickup for the New Orleans Saints in the second round. Porter, who is still active, will always be remembered for his game-clinching interception of Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLIV.
T6. Scott Starks, Wisconsin CB — 4.37 (2005)
Not surprisingly, the Wisconsin track star had one of the top times at the 2005 combine. That helped propel Starks’ third-round selection and six-year NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
5. Bob Sanders, Iowa S — 4.35 (2004)
The hard-hitting Hawkeye safety could run pretty well, too. The most accomplished player on this list, Sanders was a two-time All-Pro safety and he became the first player in Indianapolis Colts history to earn AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.
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4. B.J. Tucker, Wisconsin CB — 4.34 (2003)
Another former Badger track star, Tucker’s ridiculous 4.34 earned him a sixth-round selection. But he didn’t make the Dallas Cowboys’ roster and he bounced around five different teams in two years before being shipped off to NFL Europe. He did help the Amsterdam Admirals to a league title after tying for the league lead in interceptions.
T1. Deon Butler, Penn State WR — 4.31 (2009)
Butler set the record for Penn State receptions and he tied the B1G record in the 40-yard dash at the combine. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate to a lengthy NFL career. The third-round pick had 57 career catches over the course of four years with the San Diego Chargers.
T1. Justin King, Penn State CB — 4.31 (2008)
King surprisingly declared early for the NFL draft, but his 4.31-second 40-time was second to all-time leader Chris Johnson, who ran a 4.24. The fourth-round selection spent five years in the NFL, though injuries prevented his career from taking shape.
T1. Trae Waynes, Michigan State CB — 4.31 (2015)
One of the top defensive back prospects in B1G history, Waynes’ combine made him a lock to go in the top half of the first round. The Vikings made him the top cornerback in the draft at No. 11, which was also the highest the franchise had ever taken a cornerback. Still, Waynes only started one game as a rookie and struggled to earn playing time with the NFC North champions. He figures to be a bigger fixture in the rotation in 2016.