Devon Allen finishes second in 110m hurdles: Fastest players in NFL history

There is about a month until teams start training camp to begin first preparations for the 2023 NFL season. Some players will be enjoying this final month of freedom with vacations, other getting their bodies in tip top shape for the upcoming campaign, and then there’s Devon Allen who has been competing in USATF events as lately.

Allen with fourth fastest time this year

The Eagles wide receiver hasn’t just been competing he almost won gold in the 110m at the Gran Prix in New York. He finished with a time of 13.04 seconds which was good enough for second in the medal run and the fourth fastest time posted this year.

Allen may not be too well known just yet, after spending last season on the Eagles practice squad. He signed with Philly this spring, and if he stays on he will be among the fastest players in the league.

So here is a look back at some of the fastest players to ever play the game.

Deion Sanders

Deion was a referent point for safety’s and defensive backs when he came out of college. The flashy dual sport stud pulled up to his NFL combine after telling people he wasn’t going to run the 40 yard dash. Ended up doing it once, running it in 4.3, but that didn’t sit well with him so he ran it again and ended up with a 4.27 officially. Once he reached the finish line, he didn’t slow down, he kept running, waved to everyone on the way out and left the facility.

Chris Johnson

Former Tennessee Titan and Arizona Cardinal Chris Johnson had a deadly combination of lightening quick speed and ankle breaking moves that made him nearly impossible to take down. Once he got into the open field, it was too late for defenders, which is how he set the NFL record for scrimmage yards in 2009 when he posted 2,509 yards, a record that still stands. He was officially clocked at 4.24, but he claims that he ran a 4.18, which would have broken John Ross’s combine record.

Tyreek Hill

Before making his name at Arrowhead Stadium, and now at Hard Rock Stadium in South Beach, Tyreek Hill was a world class sprinter at Oklahoma State Univeristy. He still dabbles in the world of track and field, running a 6.70 60 yard dash which was the fastest in 25-29 age division at the USA Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships. The speedy receiver ran s 4.29 40 yard dash at the combine, and since then has cemented himself as one of the best receivers in the game.

Bo Jackson

“Bo Knows” that was the famous slogan that centered around Bo Jackson in the 1980s. Bo was without question the most successful two sport athlete, becoming well known in world of baseball and football. Perhaps the only thing more impressive than his versatility was his terrifying combo of strength and speed. Bo was 220 pounds of pure muscle, and ran a hand clocked 40-yard dash at 4.13 seconds which would be the fastest ever recorded.

John Ross

Officially John Ross has the fastest recorded 40 yard dash at the combine. It came in 2017, just before the Cincinnati Bengals took the wide receiver in the first round, but has been bothered by injuries since coming into the league. He last played 2021 with the New York Giants, where he caught 11 passes, but he is coming into the preseason looking to make an 53-man roster.

Bob Hayes

Sure, all of these other guys may be fast, but do they have the hardware to prove it? Bob Hayes does. Hayes played WR for Dallas in the 60s and 70s, winning a Super Bowl in his time there and also becoming an Olympic gold medal winner. His 9.1 second 100 yard dash was the fastest time in the world for more than 10 years, and he would win gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. He ran the 100m dash in 10.06 which tied a world record and helped Team USA win the 4x100 relay with a historic final leg of 8.60. Everyone else is fast, but Hayes is the only gold medalist on this list.