40-Yard Fails: The Most Embarrassing 40-Yard Dashes in NFL Combine History

Image via Getty/John Robbins

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.

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!

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: 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.

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.

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.’"

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.