This video is of Chris Johnson of East Carolina running the 40-yard dash in 4.24 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2008. It is the fastest electronically recorded time in the history of the combine. If any college football prospect can beat that time at the combine in 2017 (with a few caveats attached) they will win their own freaking island.
Since that run nine years ago there have been many athletes who have tried and failed to beat the mark. Deion Sanders back in 1989 ran a 4.21 (hand timed) while Bo Jackson is said to have run a 4.12 forty and Darrell Green is alleged to have run an eye-popping 4.09 time at the Washington Redskins' training camp back in 1986. These numbers (with the exception of Sanders) are hard to verify, but prove that Johnson's time is potentially beatable.
MORE: NFL Draft Preview: Jamal Adams LSU Highlights
As the 40-yard-dash is seen as the marquee event of the combine it does kind of make sense that such a crazy reward would be offered to anyone who can set a new best-ever mark. An outstanding time in the dash will see a player's stock rise to the point that he can jump up a round or two in the draft, while the reverse is also true as players have fallen from the first round to the third day based on their speed in a t-shirt and shorts.
The stipulations for winning an island are that the prospect must be wearing a pair of 2017 adizero 5-star 40 cleats and he must sign a sponsorship deal with the company before the start of the 2017-18 NFL season. This island (chosen by Adidas) will be worth up to $1 million dollars. Also, you cannot win two islands by breaking the record in both your heats. This would just be getting island greedy.
If watching a player win a landmass is your thing then names to watch out for include Kermit Whitfield (Florida State), John Ross (Washington), and Adoree' Jackson (USC). All three have previous bests in low 4.3s and have a chance at hitting the 4.2s with the right incentive.
An incentive such as an island, perhaps.
