Track and field and football have an incredibly close relationship. They are so closely linked that 60 percent of high school all American football players actually have competed on the track as well. Track and field can develop something within an athlete that almost no other sport can. You get a chance to prove just how talented you really are, going 1 on 1 against everyone else. As a sprinter at Lafayette College, I witnessed firsthand how my teammate Jerome Rudolph starred at running back, and still broke the conference record in the 100 meter dash. In fact, Olympic medalists Grant Holloway, and even Erriyon Knighton were amazing football prospects who chose to put their focus only on the track. Outside of D1 entirely, many of the best track athletes are the ones who also compete on the gridiron. However, most football players choose to walk away from the track before we really get a glimpse of what they are truly capable of. 

The only way to know how fast football players really are, is to see what they do on the track. This is a breakdown of the best track athletes to play in the NFL throughout the modern era. Some names you might recognize, and others you’ve likely forgotten. Regardless of how good they play on Sundays, they all truly stood out on the track. Furthermore this list is in no particular order, because each one of them was great in their own right.

Tyreek Hill 

Tyreek Hill is arguably the greatest wide receiver in the NFL right now according to Stephen A. Smith. Before he was a Pro Bowler, and a Super Bowl champion, he dominated on the track at both the high school and college level. As a high school senior he actually ran 20.14 in the 200 meter dash. That was the fastest high school time in the nation. He later ran in junior college only losing to Andre De Grasse in the 100 meter dash at the NJCAA national meet. He ran in D1 at Oklahoma State, making the NCAA indoor championship final in the 200 before hanging up his spikes for good. We’ll probably never know what he can really do on the track, but conventional wisdom suggests he could have gone down as one of the greatest to ever do it!

DK Metcalf

DK Metcalf is also in the conversation as one of the league’s greatest receivers. His talent on the track is also undeniable. He was a 46 foot triple jumper in high school and a sub 15 second 110 hurdler. He actually chose not to run track at all in college. After going 4.33 in the 40 yard dash at the NFL combine he ran the 100 meter dash years later against the pros at a USATF event going 10.36. That time is good enough to win a conference championship somewhere in D1 right now. 

Anthony Schwartz

Anthony Schwartz never took track seriously after high school. He is a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns but before that he was American’s fastest high school sprinter in the 100 meter dash in both 2018, and 2017. He was actually the Gatorade athlete of the year in track and field in 2019. He ran a PR of 10.09 and actually ran a little bit at Auburn for 1 season. He never broke 10.2 while he was there, but the truth is, he never even scratched the surface of what was clearly a world class talent.

Trindon Holliday 

Trindon Holliday is one of the shortest players in NFL history, which is explained by his superior speed. He played for 5 season in the NFL through 2015. He bounced around after becoming a 6th round draft pick, but at LSU he was one of the NCAA’s greatest sprinters. At the time he was the fastest player to ever play college football because he ran 10 flat wind legal, and won an NCAA championship in the 100 meter dash to prove it.

CJ Spiller 

CJ Spiller survived a little longer in the NFL  than Trindon Holliday. He madethe Pro Bowl as a running back for the Bills. He played 7 NFL seasons through 2017 but competed in college at Clemson. He was a legitimate short sprinter making the NCAA championships in the 60 meter dash and 100 meter dash, going as fast as 10.22 during his career.

Jacoby Ford

Jacoby Ford also ran for Clemson, but only played in the NFL for 5 full seasons. He dominated on the track winning the NCAA Indoor championship in the 60 meter dash for 2009. Needless to say he was a threat in the 100 meter dash as well going 10.01 and making the NCAA final. He actually lost to Trindon Holliday in that race.

Kendall Sheffield

But Kendall Sheffield is one of the most unique track and field talents to make the NFL. He was drafted by the Falcons in 2019 and most recently played for the Houston Texans. Years ago he was the fastest high school hurdler in all of America in 2015. However, he never ran the hurdles in college. He actually bounced around to three colleges before running the 60 meter dash indoors at Ohio State. He didn’t just compete, he finished second overall in 6.63 seconds. That indicates that he had enough speed to become a generational hurdler, if he wanted to.

Tony Brown

Tony Brown was the fastest high school hurdler one full decade ago, running 13.38 to win the Texas Relays. Year later her worked his way up as undrafted player to play defensive back for the Indianapolis Colts. He chose to run track seriously in college while competing for Alabama. He actually made the NCAA final in the 110 hurdles and also ran the 100 meter dash, running 10.12 wind legal. He even qualified for the USATF outdoor championship meet before his NFL career began.

Jeff Demps

Jeff Demps went undrafted out of Florida. But he played three seasons in the NFL. However, he is probably more well known for his career on the track. At one point he was the fastest high school 100 meter runner in history running 10.01 seconds. He went on to win an NCAA championship for the Gators in the 60 meter dash indoors, and later make the Olympic team as a 4x100 meter relay runner.

Marquise Goodwin

Marquise Goodwin stands out as not only a solid NFL player, but a real track and field star. He survived a decade in the NFL as a wide receiver, and competed in both track and football at the University of Texas. In college he long jumped over 27 feet and won 2 NCAA championships. He also became a USA championship in 2011 and became an Olympian in 2012. All that being said he is still incredibly fast, breaking 6.7 in the 60 meter dash.

Devon Allen

The most accomplished track athlete on this list has to be Devon Allen in the 110 hurdles. He only competed in the NFL in the preseason for the Philadelphia Eagles, after playing football at Oregon. On the track he is the third fastest 110 hurdler in history, an Olympic finalist twice, and a 6 time champion both in the NCAA and the USA as a pro.

The Bottom Line

Track and Field is a sport where if you’re not first you might as well be an extra in an action movie. However, no sport is perhaps as action packed as football is in the NFL. The players on this list are proof that if you can prove yourself to be one of the greatest athletes on the track, you likely have what it takes to make it to the league. If you are a track and field coach, in high school or even at the college level, the best friend you can ever hope to make is the head coach of the football team.

LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD, RUN GOOD.

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