What was Justin Gatlin 40 yard time?

[CM4]

he participated in TEN Pro Day. Does anyone have a 40 time for him. Obviously should be in 4.1s or 4.2s.

[OregonDucks]

Who cares.

[nikkayeah]

i heard it was a 4.1 flat

[the decider13]

lets throw some pads and cleats on em and see how fast he is.

[BroadwayJoe10]

Well, when he beat Asafa Powell's record by running a 9.76 seconds, it averages roughly 3.57 seconds for a 40. This is of course assuming constant speed and not taking into account acceleration, it looks like he'd probably run in the 4.0's or a 4.1.

When he was asked, he said he ran a 4.1, but that the coaches wanted to see football talent and not just speed, becuase they already knew he was fast.

[Bobertchin]

I saw 4.42, actually, as his time. Note that a 100m runner won't necessarily do great at the 40yard dash.

[BroadwayJoe10]

I saw 4.42, actually, as his time. Note that a 100m runner won't necessarily do great at the 40yard dash.

It's a possibility that he ran it now, but i guarantee that every olympic athlete 100m sprinter will crush a 4.42. They all get out of the blocks better than any football player and 4.42 is just slow. Gatlin ran a 9.76 100m, 4.42 is just slow compared to what he's capable of. I don't know what he ran, but i would be very skeptical of that time.

[nhlkdog411]

He's also probably off the 'roids now..

[P-L]

He ran a 4.42 40 at Tennessee's pro day. I don't remember where I read it, but give me some time and maybe I can find a link.

[619]

I saw 4.42, actually, as his time. Note that a 100m runner won't necessarily do great at the 40yard dash.

I remember hearing former Canadian olympic gold medalist in the 100 M Donovan Bailey would reportedly consistently run in the 3.7's and 3.8's in the 40 yard dash.

[BroadwayJoe10]

He ran a 4.42 40 at Tennessee's pro day. I don't remember where I read it, but give me some time and maybe I can find a link.

I wonder if the fact that they don't use blocks like in a race has anything to do with it, but that's extremely shocking. Gatlin was never known for being the quickest out of the blocks and usually poured it on over the last 40 yards, but for the past fastest man in the world i can't beleive how slow of a time this is for him.

[Billingsley26]

Eh, when Ben Johnson broke the world record in the 100m, he tried out for Hamilton Tiger-Cats and basiclly cut himself. Just because the dude is fast doesnt mean anything. Ive always said on this board that I would take a natural football player over a freak athlete. I may, however, look at him as a KR or PR.

[boknows34]

When a football player runs the 40-yd dash the clock I believe starts on his first movement.

A track athlete must have a reaction time of greater than 0.1 sec from the sound of the gun otherwise its a false start.

The 50m World Record is 5.56 seconds by Donovon Bailey. If you knock a tenth of a second off for his reaction time to the gun its 5.46 sec from when he actually started to move. Now 50 metres is 54.68 yards so Bailey was moving at virtually 10 yards per second. This translates to a flat 4.00 for the 40.

On a 40 yard dash however Bailey would not be running at 10 yards per second as he would be hitting his peak speed from 45-55 yds. Even at 9.5yds per second that translates to a 4.21 sec 40yd dash. Any reports of 3.8 and 3.9 are ludicrous.

Also worth noting is that some sprinters like Carl Lewis were slow starters and hit their peak at 70-80 metres. Others like Ben Johnson and Maurice Greene were cannonballs out of the block.

[OregonDucks]

He would crush 4.42, no doubt.

[saintsfan912]

Has he ever actually played a down of football?

[thebow305]

I would love to have him on the Dolphins, regardless. :)

[619]

Has he ever actually played a down of football?

Yes, in HS only I believe.

[saintsfan912]

Then he's gonna have a rude awakening in the pros. That's if he makes a roster.

[underscore]

100m sprinters don't have great 40 times. Why? Because they're running 100m, not 40 yds.

[BroadwayJoe10]

100m sprinters don't have great 40 times. Why? Because they're running 100m, not 40 yds.


That's like saying michael johnson doesn't have a good 100 time because his main events were the 400m and 200m. These guys are world class athletes with world class speed, there speed doesn't just vanish if they aren't running their best event.

I guarantee every olympic 100m runner has a good 40 time. It may not be the best 40 time ever, but the winner of the 100m isn't called the fastest man in the world for no reason. Yes, some of them like Asafa Powell and Gatlin are better in the second half of the race, but all of them are amazing out of the blocks compared to 99% of the football players.

[bwillie26]

That's like saying michael johnson doesn't have a good 100 time because his main events were the 400m and 200m. These guys are world class athletes with world class speed, there speed doesn't just vanish if they aren't running their best event.

I guarantee every olympic 100m runner has a good 40 time. It may not be the best 40 time ever, but the winner of the 100m isn't called the fastest man in the world for no reason. Yes, some of them like Asafa Powell and Gatlin are better in the second half of the race, but all of them are amazing out of the blocks compared to 99% of the football players.

40 yards is the equivalent to around 37m, IIRC. Sprinters do not reach their 'peak speed' until around 45m into a race.

These guys are in track cleats, on a track surface, coming out of starting blocks. They are fast, but that does not necessarily translate to a football surface.

For instance, Jamaal Charles is one of the top sprinters in the entire country. His 40 times was a bit above-average, but not really overly impressive for someone you would consider a speed demon.

[BroadwayJoe10]

40 yards is the equivalent to around 37m, IIRC. Sprinters do not reach their 'peak speed' until around 45m into a race.

These guys are in track cleats, on a track surface, coming out of starting blocks. They are fast, but that does not necessarily translate to a football surface.

For instance, Jamaal Charles is one of the top sprinters in the entire country. His 40 times was a bit above-average, but not really overly impressive for someone you would consider a speed demon.

I know sprinters do not reach their top speed until around halfway through, but neither would any football player running the 100. I will guarantee that Maurice Green, Michael Johnson, Asafa Powell and Justin Gatlin are all better out of the blocks or any other way to start a race than any football player and have the same turnover rate.

Don't they run on a track surface at their prodays as well?? That's why teams like OSU and Vtech are notorious for having their players drop low times during their pro days.

Not sure if this is true or not, but didn't charles struggle starting his races?? I heard there was some reason for his slow times.

[BaLLiN]

4.42 doesn't seem right to me, but maybe he was on steriods when he said he ran a 4.1, but still, to be an olympic sprinter, you have to be better than that.

[nfrillman]

Obviously he is fast, but also remember that in track the runners get to start using blocks, which aids acceleration. 40 yard dashes aren't ran with blocks.

[bwillie26]

I know sprinters do not reach their top speed until around halfway through, but neither would any football player running the 100. I will guarantee that Maurice Green, Michael Johnson, Asafa Powell and Justin Gatlin are all better out of the blocks or any other way to start a race than any football player and have the same turnover rate.

Don't they run on a track surface at their prodays as well?? That's why teams like OSU and Vtech are notorious for having their players drop low times during their pro days.

Not sure if this is true or not, but didn't charles struggle starting his races?? I heard there was some reason for his slow times.

Certain schools will run on track surfaces, but not all of them. If Tennessee does have a track surface, it proves my point all that much more.

Charles is a world class sprinter. Four time All-American. His personal best in the 100m is 10.1, which is unbelievable. What makes it even more unbelievable is ..

Charles: 200lbs
Gatlin: 174lbs
Johnson: 175lbs
Powell: 194lbs
Montgomery: 160lbs
Greene: 180lbs

You also can't say that sprinters have faster reaction times, then not apply it to Charles. Jamaal is a sprinter, so essentially, he would have to be a quick starter by what you are trying to say.

We really aren't arguing that much different. But sprinter speed does not equal football speed basically.

[saintsfan912]

Certain schools will run on track surfaces, but not all of them. If Tennessee does have a track surface, it proves my point all that much more.

Charles is a world class sprinter. Four time All-American. His personal best in the 100m is 10.1, which is unbelievable. What makes it even more unbelievable is ..

Charles: 200lbs
Gatlin: 174lbs
Johnson: 175lbs
Powell: 194lbs
Montgomery: 160lbs
Greene: 180lbs

You also can't say that sprinters have faster reaction times, then not apply it to Charles. Jamaal is a sprinter, so essentially, he would have to be a quick starter by what you are trying to say.

We really aren't arguing that much different. But sprinter speed does not equal football speed basically.

Trindon Holiday also ran a 10.02. He's small but still fast as ****. Also I will be willing to bet he's a better football player than Gatlin will ever be. I can't believe he's actually trying out for an NFL team. The smart thing for him would to be to play in the CFL or something, the NFL certainly isn't highschool football.

[vdoe]

I was with him this past weekend, he said that his fastest time was 3.8

[vdoe]

for the record, he is making a comeback as a sprinter

[Babylon]

I'd say the tops for just about anyone running the 40 would be mid 4.1s to 4.2.

Hershcel Walker ran a 4.25
Bo Jackson 4.18
Dion 4.17

all alleged times of course.

[superman]

I'd say the tops for just about anyone running the 40 would be mid 4.1s to 4.2.

Hershcel Walker ran a 4.25
Bo Jackson 4.18
Dion 4.17

all alleged times of course.

aka not true

[Babylon]

aka not true

Not true about the alleged times or that nobody is going to run faster than a mid 4.1?

[bucknut12]

I was watching Track and Field on ESPN years ago around the time Maurice Green broke the world record in the 100m. Well, the announcer for ESPN track and field, who I believe is Ron Stone, said he broke down Maurice Green's 100m record race, and figured out his first 40 yards was covered between 3.9 and 4.0 seconds.

[phlysac]

From Atlanta Journal-Constitution March 18, 2008

Gatlin ran 40-yard dash times of 4.28 and 4.34, vertical jumped 40 inches, broad jumped 11 feet 1 inch and bench pressed 225 pounds 12 times, said David Irons Sr., one of the sprinter's trainers who was at the Pro Day workout at Tennessee.
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11F7DCEE83005368&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM (http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11F7DCEE83005368&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM)

[ChiefMojo]

Terrence Newman was a excellent sprinter and I believe his forty time was in the 4.2 range. Very similar to Jammal Charles.

[BamaFalcon59]

Trindon Holliday runs a 10.02 100 meter, and may be faster than Gatlin through the first half of the race. Holliday is amazing out of the breaks, but his top end speed isn't up to some other sprinters top end speeds due to leg length.

So basically, just wait and see what Holliday runs.

[bhaarat316]

Wasn't there an LSU WR Xavier that was faster than Holliday. I think though he left to run full time track. Clearly track guys can't play football, examples of Troy Williamson.

[Cicero]

I wonder who has the faster 40 between Holliday and Demps.

[LonghornsLegend]

While everyone is worried about the man's 40, a broad jump of 11 foot 1 and a 40 inch vertical is pretty damn good...Not surprising because he's a track star, but if someone wants to give him a shot then go for it, he may be better then we all think.


Maybe he can work his way in as a return guy if he is big enough.

[Hines]

I would love it if the Steelers sign him to be a return guy. He would be a threat to break it to the house everytime he touches the ball.