These five Combine FREAKS will always be remembered for their performances.
With the Underwear Olympics – also known as the NFL Scouting Combine – in full swing in Indianapolis, we will get our first taste of football activities since the Super Bowl was played a little less than three weeks ago.
Yes, I did have to look up how long ago the last game of football was, because it feels like an eternity, but I digress.
The Combine is a great event that allows college players to show off their athleticism in front of NFL scouts and GMs.
It isn't exactly a great indicator of skill on the field (as we will see in a bit) but it is fun to see these physical specimens do things that mere mortals could only dream of doing.
With that in mind, let's look at five of the freakiest Combine performances over the past few decades.
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The man they call CJ2K was once just a little-known scat-back from East Carolina, but his Combine performance in 2008 opened plenty of eyes across the country.
The speedy Johnson recorded a 4.24-second 40-yard dash – in a loose-fitting T-shirt, no less – and broad jumped 10'10".
The 40 time was a record at the Combine that stood for nearly a decade, and his overall performance catapulted Johnson into the first round of the draft that April.
The rest is history, as Johnson went on to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year, made three Pro Bowls, and was one of only a handful of players to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.
Anthony Richardson – QB (2023)
I mentioned it above, but Combine success does not always equate to on-field performance, and although he is still young and has time to grow, Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is just the latest example of this.
Richardson was a physical phenom at Florida, so everyone was anticipating a great showing from him in Indy ahead of the draft.
At 6'4" and 240lbs, Richardson put up numbers that even the most elite wide receivers would die for.
His vertical leap of 40.5 inches set a Combine record, and his 4.43-second 40 time at his size put him in some rarefied air.
Throw in a 10'9" broad jump, and teams were falling all over themselves to draft what was still seen as a project with limitless physical gifts.
It hasn't translated to success in Indianapolis, partly due to injuries, but I still think there is some juice left to squeeze out of Richardson and his Combine performance is a constant reminder of that.
Arguably the most impressive blend of size and athleticism to ever grace the NFL, wide receiver Calvin Johnson had it all going for him coming out of Georgia Tech.
The man earned the name "Megatron" for a reason: 6'5", 239lbs, ran a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash, and had a vertical of nearly 43 inches.
It's no wonder Johnson demanded constant double and even triple coverage on the field from day one.
He was built like an outside linebacker, ran like an Olympic sprinter, and jumped like he was on a trampoline.
Megatron struck fear into the heart of every cornerback he matched up with, and his 2007 Combine performance was just a precursor to a Hall of Fame career.
Truly one of the best to ever lace them up.
When Ndamukong Suh ran a sub-5-second 40-yard dash, many people lauded him for an accomplishment few could comprehend.
