The Front Row

It really depends how they're timed. I believe at the NFL combine the clock starts on 1st movement and doesn't stop until the players entire body is through the finish line. I'd bet the NAIA schools are doing what most high schools are doing...timing it by hand and being generous in starting and stopping the watch.

you can add .15 to .2 seconds onto any handheld time to get about what they would be laser-timed - there aren't many Buckeye's (my guess is less than 10) on the current roster who are 4.4 laser timed guys much less 20 at some NAIA school

I think the best measure for how jacked up many of these HS times are is to look at the NFL combine. Very few guys actually break 4.5 and only a couple per year run a time in the 4.3's. I basically take every reported time and add .2 to it. That seems to be more in line with reality. That is why I am unconcerned with Burrows and Woodards 40 times... we are probably just now seeing some accurate times on most of these kids.

Now that said, Zeke Elliot running an independent camp laser timed 4.42 is probably legit. Mitchell's 4.45 is stupidly ridiculous for a guy his size (and that time is further bolstered by his 40.3 vert). I haven't heard anything about his broad jump (or if he did one) but I will bet it is probably over 10ft.

How about Jayme Thompson's excellent lasertimed 4.54 and an even better 4.12 shuttle. To give that shuttle some perspective a 4.03 would have put him in the top 10 in the NFL draft this year. Great stuff, that 4.12 is more of a corner number than a safety number.

I still believe that MOST "fast" guys still run around 4.5. Guys aren't suddenly becoming the fastest guys on the face of the earth. If that were the case, they'd be on the u.s. Olympic team at age 18. Ted Ginn is about the only guy who could truly blow by a legit 4.5 guy. All other speed burners are pretty much equal. that's just how I look at it. forty times are so unreliable. Also, some guys play faster than they run 40's. so that is another variable.

My best time was in 1962 when I played against Larry Csonka @ Stow High School. He was a 245 lb. RB and I was a 155 lb. CB. He's coming straight through the line untouched and I'm the only thing between him and paydirt. Have you ever dreamed you got gored by a raging bull with it's ass on fire? Well, there I was in all my glory as he splayed me wide open. After I found as many of my body parts as I could, I did a 3.0 40 directly to the sideline to see if anyone on the bench could stuff most of my major organs back into my body cavity!!

I have yet to understand why these drills aren't timed in full equipment. It's like a race car driver doing his timed lap in a car he's not racing with. I believe there is track speed and football speed. I want to know who flies with the pads on.