Top 10 Fastest NFL Players Ever – #5 Bob Hayes
#5 – Bob Hayes
A perfect example of recency bias here. Shame on you fans for voting Bob Hayes so low.
This is the only man to ever win an Olympic Gold Medal and win a Super Bowl over a lifetime and that is never changing. Not impressed enough? His 100 meter gold medal involved him breaking the world record with the fastest time ever of 10.06.
Bullet Bob Hayes was way ahead of his time and it is a travesty he doesn’t get enough recognition with the fan voting. The speed of Bob Hayes changed defensive schemes. Nobody could run with him which led to the invention of zone coverage.
He played in an era where passing wasn’t as prominent, so his stats reflect that. Either way, having him ranked 5th on this list is low if anything. I would not fault anyone for classifying him as the fastest player in NFL history.
Top 10 Fastest Players in NFL History – #4 Chris Johnson
#4 – Chris Johnson
This wouldn’t be a fastest NFL players list without Chris Johnson. He held the record for the fastest 40 yard dash ever for 9 years with his time of 4.24 until it was broken by John Ross with a time of 4.22. You know me though! This list isn’t all about combine metrics. What made Chris Johnson so special was his ability to translate that track star speed onto the field.
In his rookie season he ran for 1228 yards averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He then followed with what I think is one of the worst MVP snubs ever in his sophmore season. It was arguably the best season ever for a running back. He rushed for an astounding 2006 yards averaging 125 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry. His 2509 yards from scrimmage was an NFL record still stands today making him one of the most underrated dual purpose running backs ever.
His stats plummeted once he left the Titans after 6 seasons, but it’s worth mentioning there wasn’t a single season with the team that he didn’t run for under 1000 yards.
Top 10 Fastest NFL Players Ever – #3 Bo Jackson
#3 – Bo Jackson
Oh Bo Jackson, what could have been. This freak of an athlete only played 4 seasons in the NFL, all of which were cut short because of injury. Over that time he had some of the best runs in NFL history showing off his unbelievable god given athleticism.
What made him so incredibly special was the fact that not only was he the fastest NFL player, but one of the most powerful. He could outrun anyone on the field, and would frequently decide to lower his shoulder and run them over.
Once he retired from the NFL, Bo Jackson joined the MLB as an outfielder and became the only player to be an all-star for both sports. That cements his spot in my opinion as the greatest multi-sport athlete ever. I mentioned his unprecedented highlights in the NFL, and the same can be said for his highlights in the MLB. Search Bo Jackson throws out on YouTube and be impressed. There is not one, but two freakish throws from center field.
