Image via Getty/John Robbins
The 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine is just a strange event. It basically has little to no bearing on your NFL career as long as you stay within the expectations that come with your position. However, a substantial difference in time in either direction—whether that be faster and slower—can greatly impact your draft stock. With that being said, the drill matters… and doesn’t matter at the same.
For some athletes, one slip-up of just a couple seconds in their 40-yard dash time can cost them a higher spot in the draft and millions of dollars or even worse, a potential spot on an NFL roster. From those prospects, like Tom Brady and Antonio Brown, who have experienced potentially detrimental failures while running the 40 only to come out better once they got their chance and entered the league to the players who weren’t as lucky and allowed one bad run to dictate their entire future in the NFL Draft, the 40 has proven to be a double-edged sword.
Instead of focusing on the athletes who blew away their field with an impressive showing of speed, we’re going to take a look at the worst of times for these NFL prospects. The ones who took part in the 40 only to wind up regretting their decision on the end.
Here’s a roundup of the most embarrassing 40-yard dashes in NFL Combine history, for your sadistic viewing pleasure.
1. “The Hummer Is Out”
Player: Chris Jones, Mississippi State defensive lineman
Year: 2016
When you look up “embarrassing 40-yard dash moments at the NFL Combine,” former Mississippi State defensive lineman Chris Jones is the first thing you see. Jones launched himself into infamy just two years ago, when his junk popped out of his shorts as he ran his 40. Sports Illustrated caught up with Jones one year after the incident took place. “I looked down and the hummer is out,” he recalled. “I try to cover it up. I'm thinking to myself, ‘little kids are watching.’” Jones tried his best to tuck it all back in after he took a spill, but the damage was already done. Little kids and adults have been scarred for life.
2. And It’s Over, Just Like That
Player: Vick Ballard, Mississippi State running back Year: 2012
Prospects falling during the 40-yard dash is a natural occurrence. Typically, though, the spill happens right when the athlete is about to or has passed the finish line. Basically, the opposite of what happened to Vick Ballard during his 40 at the Combine.
Just as Ballard was about to kick it into high gear, he was sent sprawling off the course and crashed into a nearby tripod. On his next and final attempt, Ballard ran a 4.65, which made him ranked 16th out of 25 running backs. Ouch.
3. Nobody Is Perfect
Player: Tom Brady, Michigan quarterback Year: 2000
Tom Brady is living proof that NFL teams shouldn’t take anything that comes out of the Combine to heart. Brady’s 40 time of 5.28 seconds still stands as the slowest among active quarterbacks in the league today. However, for signal callers, their success ultimately depends on their arm and what’s between their ears. Tom has proven to be exceptional in both of those categories, and that’s why he’s a five-time Super Bowl champion. Screw the Combine.
4. A 40 With Little Bit of Danger
Player: Kenny Ladler, Vanderbilt safety Year: 2014
Fortunately, we’ve never witnessed someone get seriously injured running the 40. But if there was ever someone who came close to getting hurt, it’s former Vanderbilt safety Kenny Ladler. As Ladler tried to decelerate, he tripped himself up, and instead of landing face-first into the ground, he attempted a barrel roll that nearly resulted in serious injury. The scariest part about Ladler’s somersault was that his head did briefly skid on the ground. If any part of his tumble had played out just a little bit differently, who knows if he would’ve been able to walk away from this fall.
5. That’s One Way to Slow Yourself Down
Player: Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse safety Year: 2013
Who knew Shamarko Thomas had a built-in break for when he wanted to decelerate after reaching his top speed at a moment’s notice? All jokes aside, this fall looked painful, and would’ve really benefited from a superimposed video of Peter Griffin clutching his knee in pain.
6. Run Rich Eisen Run
Player: Rich Eisen Year: 2016
A list of embarrassing 40-yard dash moments wouldn’t be complete without an appearance from Rich Eisen. In this clip, Eisen took on 405-pound Baylor tight end LaQuan McGowan, and lost. Regardless of McGowan’s large frame, he’s surprisingly fast and when the two squared off, the Baylor product put up a time of 5.48, while Eisen was edged out with a 5.94. Embarrassment is nothing new for Eisen when it comes to the 40, but even when the odds seem to be in his favor, they aren’t.
7. The Worst of the Worst
Player: Isaiah Thompson, Houston offensive lineman Year: 2011
Nothing says embarrassment quite like finishing the 40-yard dash with the slowest time in NFL Combine history. That unfortunate honor belongs to former Houston offensive lineman Isaiah Thompson, who ran the drill in six full seconds. Yikes!
8. Adding Insult to Injury
Player: B.J. Dubose, Louisville defensive lineman Year: 2015
What could possibly be worse than posting a slow 40 time? How about getting injured toward the end of your run? There’s no need to laugh at poor B.J. Dubose.
Player: John Ross, Washington wide receiver
Year: 2017
This was the year Adidas ran a contest during the Combine that promised a prospect an island (valued at $1 million) if he broke the record for fastest 40 time. John Ross ran a 4.22, eclipsing the previous mark of 4.24 held by Chris Johnson. So, he has an island to his name, right? Nope.
When he broke the record, Ross was wearing Nike cleats when he was required to wear the 2017 adizero 5-Star 40 cleat. Therefore, he was ineligible to receive the island, regardless of how things played out. Hey, at least, he got a Nike deal out of the mess.
10. Nope
Player: Manti Te’o, Norte Dame linebacker Year: 2013
They say one look can mean a thousand words, but in the case of Manti Te’o in his 40-yard dash, the look by Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh says one thing, loud and clear: nope.
11. Clarett Taps Out
Player: Maurice Clarett, Ohio State running back Year: 2005
When a noticeably heavier Maurice Clarett showed up to the Combine in 2005, his new frame gave scouts pause. After Clarett ran his allotted two attempts at the 40-yard dash, their worries were confirmed. In his first try, the Ohio State product posted a 4.72, followed by a 4.82. Clarett’s poor 40 times were so detrimental to his psyche that he threw a hood over his head and tapped out of the remaining drills. His stock wasn’t impacted by the underwhelming performance, though; the Denver Broncos drafted him in the third round, ahead of his pre-draft projection.
12. Antonio Brown’s Revenge
Player: Antonio Brown, Central Michigan wide receiver
Year: 2010
If you’re looking for proof of how much one bad 40 time can weigh on a player, look no further than Antonio Brown. In 2010, AB ran a 4.47 at the Combine. Since then, Brown’s career has worked out as well as it possibly could; six years later, he posted a tweet with an update on his improved 40.
While Brown’s poor 40 may have taken a toll on his psyche and competitive spirit, he has turned into one of the best and most consistent wideouts in the league today, hauling in 100 passes each of the last five seasons. At this point, who cares about a bad 40 time? Clearly, Brown still does.
13. Trust Your Instincts
Player: Joe Haden, Florida defensive back Year: 2010
Before Joe Haden developed a reputation throughout the league as a talented and reliable cornerback, there were plenty of red flags surrounding him, following his less than stellar Combine.
His lowest moment came when he ran a 4.57 in the 40-yard dash. It was enough to potentially scare some teams away, but the Cleveland Brown were dead set on taking him seventh overall in 2010. Their gamble paid off.
14. Teez Tabor and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad 40
Player: Teez Tabor, Florida defensive back
Year: 2017
The only thing you need to know about how embarrassing Teez Tabor’s 40 time is this tweet:
Myles Garrett is a physical freak of nature, but he’s also four inches taller and 73 pounds heavier than Tabor. The former Florida cornerback just barely edged out his 40 time? C’mon man!
15. Never 40-ing Again
Player: Jabari Greer, Tennessee defensive back Year: 2004
Coming out of college, Greer was a track athlete, so there was a built-in expectation that speed was a part of his game. But after running a 4.37 at his Pro Day, he put up a 4.5 at the Combine. Greer ended up going undrafted, and from that moment on, he refuses to take part in another 40. When asked how many times he did it during his five years with the Buffalo Bills, he said, “None.” Greer didn’t do one before signing a four-year, $22 million deal with the New Orleans Saints, either. Greer said he would consider it an insult if he was asked to run a 40. “That's disrespectful in the league," he said. "Players would be like, 'I ran that at the combine. I'm a pro now. Football is football.’"
16. Turning Lemons Into Lemonade
Player: Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State wide receiver Year: 1985
There have been plenty of rumors thrown around regarding Jerry Rice’s 40 time. Some have it at 4.71. Former San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh said it was 4.59. Either way, the important takeaway here is that Rice was blessed with many skills, but exceptional speed wasn’t one of them. What made Rice great was that he pioneered this idea that there’s a difference between 40-yard speed and game speed. Rice was able to turn an embarrassing 40 time into a positive, and that’s why he’s the best receiver to ever play the game.
17. Loud and Clear
Player: Alfred Morris, Florida Atlantic running back Year: 2012
On his NFL Combine Page, Alfred Morris is described as a tweener running back. He’s not big enough to be a bulldozer between the tackles, and he’s not quick enough to run past a defender in space. Under weaknesses, the page savagely states that Morris “doesn’t have NFL speed.” His 4.67 40 is proof.
18. Slow-Footed Suggs
Player: Terrell Suggs, Arizona State linebacker Year: 2003
In 2002, Terrell Suggs broke the NCAA single-season record for sacks when he recorded 24 during his time at Arizona State. What was the secret to his success? Was it his first step? Was it his hand game? Was it his speed?
At the Combine the following year, Suggs confirmed that it wasn’t the latter, after running a dreadful 4.84 40. Seven Pro Bowls and 125.5 sacks later, Sizzle has been doing just fine with the speed he’s got—or doesn’t got.
19. No Speed, No Problem
Player: Anquan Boldin, Florida State wide receiver Year: 2003
Anquan Boldin is another player who proved that 40-yard dash time means absolutely nothing. In the 2003 NFL Combine, Boldin ran a pitiful 4.77. Typically, you want receivers to finish somewhere around the 4.6 range. Throughout his career, Boldin became known as a possession receiver. His skill set landed him three Pro Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl title. Boldin retired from the NFL, and in due time, we will probably hear his name inducted into the Hall of Fame.
20. Not So “Fast, Fast”
Player: Montee Ball, Wisconsin running back Year: 2003
The last thing you want to do before taking part in the 40-yard dash is talk a big game. Two days before the 40, Montee Ball predicted that he would run “fast, fast.”
As it turns out, Ball either doesn’t know what “fast, fast” is for a running back or had to eat some serious crow, because his time of 4.66 seconds was 19th among the 33 backs who participated in the drill.
21. Wrong Place, Wrong (40) Time
Player: Hunter Cantwell, Louisville quarterback Year: 2009
There comes a certain point in the 40-yard dash times where you enter offensive linemen territory. The O-line players aren’t necessarily fleet of foot, and that’s expected; their primary responsible has nothing to do with being incredibly quick in a straight line. But what in the world was former Louisville quarterback Hunter Cantwell doing in the middle of this group with his 5.22 time? It was around this time that the league started to pivot towards more athletic quarterbacks, and Cantwell and his 40 time didn’t cut it.
22. Once Upon a Time, Before Drew Brees Became Drew Brees
Player: Drew Brees, Purdue quarterback Year: 2001
Prior to the NFL’s current iteration of quarterbacks who can actually hold their own when running with the football, there were signal callers who were just plain slow. Take Drew Brees, for example.
Coming into the Combine in 2011, Brees didn’t fly off the page from a physical standpoint. At six-feet-tall, the Purdue product was considered undersized for his position, and his 4.85 40 time gave organizations pause. The San Diego Chargers ended up taking Brees with the 32nd overall pick in the second round, and we’re pretty sure they’re happy they took a chance on that slow-footed quarterback.
23. What’s in a Name?
Player: De’Runnya Wilson, Mississippi State wide receiver Year: 2016
The embarrassing part of De’Runnya Wilson’s performance in the 40-yard dash is something he has zero control over. As a wide receiver, your 40 time can potentially hurt or help your draft stock. An impressive run can draw interest from teams, while a poor showing can make franchises apprehensive of taking you where you’re projected to go. With a name that has the word “run” in it, you would think that De’Runnya would put up, at the very least, an adequate time. In his first attempt, Wilson ran an unofficial 4.90, followed by a 4.85. He went undrafted.
24. To 40 Or Not to 40?
Player: Tim Dwight, Iowa wide receiver Year: 1998
When Tim Dwight went to the NFL Combine in 1998, he was given one specific instruction from his agent: Don’t compete in the 40-yard dash. Dwight was dealing with a groin injury all season long, and couldn’t afford to hurt his draft stock by putting up a poor 40 time. So he did the logical thing and took part in the event. Dwight ran a 4.63, the worst 40 of his career, and just as his agent forewarned him, his stock took a dip. He was projected to be taken in the third round, but slipped to the fourth.
25. Pick and Choose Your Battles
Player: Josh Oglesby, Wisconsin offensive lineman
Year: 2012
Sometimes, the most embarrassing part of competing in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine is actually taking part in the event in the first place. Coming out of Wisconsin, Josh Oglesby was considered a solid offensive lineman. However, one of his main issues was his six previous knee surgeries.
When Oglesby ran the 40, he put up a time of 5.8 seconds, which led teams to question whether his knees were impacting his quickness and hinted at a possible problem down the road. He ended up going undrafted.