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The age of the genetic freak OT
Cold, Hard Football Facts for February 23, 2009
You probably know, too, that offensive line is the one position where an ability to sprint 40 yards down field almost never comes into play during the course of a game.
So what does the NFL do with its first release following the NFL Combine? It sends us a list of the top 10 offensive linemen in the 40-yard dash.
There is one interesting fact to come from the list: six of the 10 fastest offensive linemen are tackles. Back in the day, the offensive tackle was probably the slowest player on the field, and guards and centers were the smaller, faster offensive linemen, required to go down field to block far more often. But in these days of the genetic-freak OTs, apparently speed is as much a part of their repertoire as size and strength.
Other than that, this data tells nothing about who's going to prove a legitimate NFL player ... but people like you would probably be interested in the results just the same.
Fastest 40s among OL (2009 Combine)
|
Player |
School |
Position |
Time |
|
Lydon Murtha |
Nebraska |
T |
4.85 |
|
James Meredith |
South Carolina |
G |
4.97 |
|
Xavier Fulton |
Illinois |
T |
4.98 |
|
William Beatty |
Connecticut |
T |
5.03 |
|
Joel Bell |
Furman |
T |
5.07 |
|
Jonathan Luigs |
Arkansa |
C |
5.07 |
|
Gerald Cadogan |
Penn State |
T |
5.08 |
|
Brandon Walker |
Oklahoma |
G |
5.11 |
|
Jon Cooper |
Oklahoma |
C |
5.14 |
|
Jason Smith |
Baylor |
T |
5.14 |
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