NFL prospect runs 40-yard dash quicker than Usain Bolt to set incredible record

03 March 2024 , 02:41

542     0

Xavier Worthy set the record for the fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL Combine history (Image: Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Xavier Worthy stole the show at the NFL Combine by running the fastest-ever 40-yard dash at the event.

The young wide receiver clocked an official time of 4.21 seconds, beating John Ross's record, set in 2017, by 0.01 seconds. He also beat the same time set by the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, the only time he ran an NFL-style 40-yard dash.

"I just broke the record. It still doesn't feel real," Worthy said after his historic moment. "Man, just a blessing to be able to do this in front of all these fans, with all these peers I'm with."

Bolt once ran the same distance in 4.22 seconds. However, he did so not even wearing proper running shoes and in tracksuit bottoms, without any prior training. If he had trained or even had the appropriate footwear, it's fair to assume he'd have managed to run faster than Worthy.

But that's the only time we've seen Bolt run a 40-yard dash, and Worthy can claim bragging rights with his incredible time.

World's oldest Olympian, who competed at London Games in 1948, dies aged 107

Sprint sensation Bolt clocked the fastest-ever speed recorded by a human in 2009. He has long seen his speed compared to NFL stars with talk previously of a race with Miami Dolphins speedster Tyreek Hill.

In a 2021 chat on "The Dan Patrick Show", the host suggested a race between Bolt and Hill, with Bolt's gold medal and Hill's Super Bowl ring at stake. Bolt thought it would be a big event but admitted Hill might not accept the challenge.

Bolt stirred things up further on the "Pat McAfee Show" in July 2021, saying Hill had "no chance" of beating him in a 40-yard dash. But Hill, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds in 2016, thinks he could beat the world's fastest man.

Xavier Worthy set the record for the fastest time in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

"He's old. He's washed up. And he can't see me at 40 yards," Hill previously said, according to The Athletic. "Hundred-yard dash? Yes, that's what he does. But 40-yard dash ... Usain Bolt, you cannot see me."

Hill is confident about his chances against Bolt in a 40-yard dash. Even though he's in his 30s, he's still one of the quickest players in the NFL, reaching the third-fastest speed during the 2023 season.

In a game against the New York Giants in Week 5, Hill reached a top speed of 22.01 mph. Only D.K. Metcalf (22. 23 mph) and Chase Brown (22.05 mph) were faster than Hill. In fact, Hill had three of the 10 fastest speeds of the 2023 season, according to BetMGM.

With Worthy breaking the record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, he certainly will be on the radar of teams looking for speedy receivers.

Jarrod Castillo