Sprinters, coaches, power athletes 40yd times

[bison]

I'm trying to determine what typical 40yd times are for those not at a combine or other electronically recorded event. I ran the 40 vs a high schooler that claimed he was the quickest in his school. He didn't do so well. I really doubt he was the quickest at his school. Based on videos and reading I've seen there are very few who can crack the 4.5 barrier. Seems to me just about everything I see on the net is bullchit. I see 11th graders reporting times in the 4.4-4.5. This is simply total bullchit. To me I'd guess a high schooler could hit 4.5-4.6 but they are likely far and few. I was 235lbs and shot out in front of him like a bullet. So what the real numbers?

 

[ZNix]

Little off topic.. But is there nothing you cannot make quick? Apparently you can even make yourself fast.. lol.

Nix

 

[WhiteTtype989]

Think i remember most in the mid 5's ,few were lower back in high school .

 

[bison]

I remember being 5.01 on a stop watch back in high school. Never even broke into fours. I was likely in the 5.2-5.3 range in reality. I know I'm much quicker than that now but how much I'm not sure. It seems more plausible when I see all these bs times to add a quarter second to them makes them a lot more realistic. Even the numbers I see posted for top NFL guys from back in the day. I don't see Bo Jackson running a 4.12 with electronics. But I do see a 4.3-4.35. Those old numbers seem a little far fetched. If you break down the quickest sprinters in the world I'd bet most are in the 3.9 range but we will never know since the 40 is just a football thing. Usain Bolt makes other sprinters look like they are running backward. Someone like him I could see running a 3.8 off blocks. He's a freak for sure.

 

[WhiteTtype989]

Yea sounds right .We used to do the sprints on the ice to. Wierd the quickest on foot werent the fastest on the ice , who knows .

 

[PLAINWHITE T]

5.2 was my best as a high school senior in 1985...probably 6.2 now

 

[RIFF RAFF]

4-2 .4-5 IS NFL SPEED ..KIDS ARE FULL OF CHIT ..

 

[Westriver87]

I played college soccer for 4 years and trained year round. I graduated two years ago, so this wasn't very long ago. I was one of the faster guys, and typically ran 4.55-4.65 dashes and I weigh around 200 pounds. However, there were two boys that could break into the 4.4's. So its not as far fetched as you think. I can say that kids are getting faster and faster as time goes on. However, I'd guess your standard high school athlete that can sprint would be in 5.0 range if he can run. Of course there are exceptions to everything

 

[turb0buick57]

I come from a track family as a kid, my brother, sister and I all did different events through college. the thing you have to keep in mind is Combine and most college times are recorded electronically now. A hand time and an electronic time are a bit off from each other. I know in the 100m dash, an electronic or official time is around 0.24 seconds slower than a hand time. So if you are clocked running 11.0 on a stop watch, if you go to an official meet it is recieved as 11.24. Their is a similiar conversion for the shorter races but off hand I don recall it.
So at a combine when someone runs 4.34 seconds, it is closer to 4.1 by stop watch.
Also, stop watch times for consistancy were supposed to be rounded up to the nearest tenth. Hundredths arent considered accurate. For instance if you ran 4.41 on a stop watch, it rounds to a 4.5 since their is no electronic time. This is what catches a lot of high school kids fibbing. They will run a 4.5x and round it down to a 4.5 with a stop watch when it always rounds up to a 4.6 and if it was an electronic time it would be closer to 4.8x.

Another variable is running surface and type of shoes. I was a sprinter in track in school. With spikes on a track I was clocked at 4.40 on a stop watch on different occasions. Several football players from my school claimed to have 4.4 times but never could beat me in a 40 race in spikes, turf, grass, etc. A kid claiming 4.4 on black top or grass is just full of himself unless he is an upper class caliber athelete.

Last point would be in a short race, a larger margin of victory is actually a small amount of elapsed time. You could beat someone by nearly 5 yards and its only a .10 of a second or less because the rate /speed both are going at.

 

[Pronto]

You're not coupling. You need a PTC 9.5" converter. Should be good for 3.9 with good traction.

 

[WhiteTtype989]

lol

 

[bison]

I come from a track family as a kid, my brother, sister and I all did different events through college. the thing you have to keep in mind is Combine and most college times are recorded electronically now. A hand time and an electronic time are a bit off from each other. I know in the 100m dash, an electronic or official time is around 0.24 seconds slower than a hand time. So if you are clocked running 11.0 on a stop watch, if you go to an official meet it is recieved as 11.24. Their is a similiar conversion for the shorter races but off hand I don recall it.
So at a combine when someone runs 4.34 seconds, it is closer to 4.1 by stop watch.
Also, stop watch times for consistancy were supposed to be rounded up to the nearest tenth. Hundredths arent considered accurate. For instance if you ran 4.41 on a stop watch, it rounds to a 4.5 since their is no electronic time. This is what catches a lot of high school kids fibbing. They will run a 4.5x and round it down to a 4.5 with a stop watch when it always rounds up to a 4.6 and if it was an electronic time it would be closer to 4.8x.

Another variable is running surface and type of shoes. I was a sprinter in track in school. With spikes on a track I was clocked at 4.40 on a stop watch on different occasions. Several football players from my school claimed to have 4.4 times but never could beat me in a 40 race in spikes, turf, grass, etc. A kid claiming 4.4 on black top or grass is just full of himself unless he is an upper class caliber athelete.

Last point would be in a short race, a larger margin of victory is actually a small amount of elapsed time. You could beat someone by nearly 5 yards and its only a .10 of a second or less because the rate /speed both are going at.

Yeah. The electronic times show alot slower than the quickest times I saw looking back to the numbers from the late eighties. Looks like most stop watch times are a little far fetched because of the way they were interpreted. Adding the .24 makes them fall right with what I saw that was electronically aquired. I'm very fast off the line but have slowed considerably out the back since a few years ago. I haven't done any glute ham raises or low box squats in along time. Those 2 exercises definitely drop you sprint times if you have any athleticism.

 

[coach]

Hey Bison,
As a high school football coach and college strength and conditioning coach, I can assure you that 4.4's are possible in high school. I had a kid a few years back that ran down Drew Astorino ( the safety from Penn St.) in high school like he was standing still. Drew ran a 4.5 his senior year at the Nike camp. I also know another local kid who is out of this world, in most everything. He was 18 years old, 5'8", 175lbs, runs a 4.46 40yrd dash, benchs 400 lbs, squats over 500, and set 3 Junior Olympic weightlifting records in Kansas City at the age of 15.
Real world times for the fastest of the fast are somewhere in the 4.1-4.2 range. Mike Wallace the WR from the Pittsburgh Steelers, ran a 4.19 in a indoor facility. Thats the fastest time of anyone in the NFL. Ive seen several athletes who are quicker, but not faster, in events like the shuttle and turn and dash. Sprinting is all about the start, not so much speed. Most still top out in the 20-21 mph range, they just dont have the good start like some others. That is why we judge 40, 100, shuttle, and just flat out closing speed and average them out.
I had a 6'1, 210lb fullback in high school 3 years ago that was only a 4.6 timed guy, but when he broke into the open, say "bye"...he was gone. His flat out stride was incredible and he was so strong, no one could drag him down. He gave up football to be a doctor.

Thanks
Coach

 

[bison]

Hey Bison,
As a high school football coach and college strength and conditioning coach, I can assure you that 4.4's are possible in high school. I had a kid a few years back that ran down Drew Astorino ( the safety from Penn St.) in high school like he was standing still. Drew ran a 4.5 his senior year at the Nike camp. I also know another local kid who is out of this world, in most everything. He was 18 years old, 5'8", 175lbs, runs a 4.46 40yrd dash, benchs 400 lbs, squats over 500, and set 3 Junior Olympic weightlifting records in Kansas City at the age of 15.
Real world times for the fastest of the fast are somewhere in the 4.1-4.2 range. Mike Wallace the WR from the Pittsburgh Steelers, ran a 4.19 in a indoor facility. Thats the fastest time of anyone in the NFL. Ive seen several athletes who are quicker, but not faster, in events like the shuttle and turn and dash. Sprinting is all about the start, not so much speed. Most still top out in the 20-21 mph range, they just dont have the good start like some others. That is why we judge 40, 100, shuttle, and just flat out closing speed and average them out.
I had a 6'1, 210lb fullback in high school 3 years ago that was only a 4.6 timed guy, but when he broke into the open, say "bye"...he was gone. His flat out stride was incredible and he was so strong, no one could drag him down. He gave up football to be a doctor.

Thanks
Coach

Oh i didnt say they were impossible just not common. One every several years maybe?. I woudlnt trust it unless it was an electronic timing system. Reading the chit i see online everyone seems to know someone that has run that fast in their school. I think a lot of schools have missed the boat on what it takes to get that speed. Im very explosive out of the gate from all the powerlifting i did. I was doing some verticals with another co-worker as a challenge when this kid started in and asked what we were doing. At this point he hadnt seen me jump only my co-worker. So i asked him to see if he could touch a certain light fixture that would require him to vj in the high 20's. He was barely able to this. Then i commented about how the vj is a very good indicator of explosive power and has a lot of carryover to short sprints. Then he said it didnt matter how high i could jump he could destroy me in a sprint. At this point he just assumed because i was twice his age and at least 60lbs heavier (maybe 80?) that there was no way i could run even close to him. I knew in my mind he was in a lot of trouble. When i left him i actually glanced over (which is a no no) and didnt even see his hands or feet and i kind of chuckled and lost my groove, regained it then again about 30 yards out i stumbled on the chitty uneven surface we were running on. He still couldnt pass me. I crossed the line and fell forward. I sq 660,bp 475, and dl 675@217 weigh in officially. About a year after that i did a 36" vj@230+. I hit 705 sq (single poly suit, no wraps) , 500bp, and 730dl in the gym at around 230lbs. Id love to know my actual 40 time. I want to see what the electronics say. I have more of a runners body with long legs and short torso, than a pl'ers body mechanically. I did Westside force training for about 8 years. It was no joke. Im probably .2 slower than i was a few years ago. Wish i had the option to give up training to be a doctor. What emphasis is placed on even shorter sprints like the 10 yard? Id want to know that number for sure if i was scouting, especially for the power positions. Im sure a lot of the 200-220lb guys can run 4.4 in the nfl. What about the 260+lb guys that can 10 yard about as fast as the guys that run 4.4 in the 40? That must translate into dead meat on the field.

 

[Phoneguy]

4-2 .4-5 IS NFL SPEED ..KIDS ARE FULL OF CHIT ..

Pretty sure I can do 42-45...LOL

Bryan