Okay, so I was watching some NFL the other day, and I got to wondering, “Who’s the slowest dude in the league?” It’s not something you think about a lot, but it’s kinda interesting, right?
So, I did what anyone would do – I hit up the internet. I started by just typing in “slowest NFL player” into the search bar. You wouldn’t believe the stuff that came up! There were a bunch of articles and discussions about it. Turns out, it’s not a super straightforward question.
First, I looked at 40-yard dash times. That’s like the main way they measure speed in football. I found a few lists that claimed to show the slowest players based on their dash times. Some names kept popping up, like Tom Brady. Yeah, you heard that right – Tom Brady. Apparently, pure speed isn’t his strong suit.
- Tom Brady’s name came up a lot. Which, you know, makes sense. He’s a legend, but he’s not exactly known for being a speed demon.
But then I read some stuff about how 40-yard dash times aren’t the only thing that matters. Some guys might not have great straight-line speed, but they’re quick in short bursts or have great agility. So, I dug a little deeper.
There was some talk about pro days versus the combine. Apparently, the combine is the big event where they test all the prospects, but some players also have pro days at their colleges. The numbers can be different, and some folks say the pro day times are sometimes faster.
- Pro days vs. Combine times. Some players do better at their pro days, which can make things confusing.
I also found out that some positions don’t really need to be super fast. Like, offensive linemen are more about strength and blocking than running fast. It would be different if I were looking for the fastest player, there are guys in the league with absolutely burst and bend for their size. But the slowest? That’s a different story.
- Position matters. A lineman doesn’t need to be as fast as a wide receiver.
And then there’s the whole thing about height. There was this one guy, Richard Sligh, who played way back in the day. He was 7 feet tall! That’s crazy. He’s the tallest player ever in pro football. I guess being that tall doesn’t exactly make you fast.
- Tallest player ever. Richard Sligh was 7 feet tall!
So, who is the slowest?
Honestly, after all this digging, I still don’t have a definitive answer. It depends on how you define “slow.” But it was a fun little journey through the internet, learning about NFL speed, or the lack thereof. And it made me appreciate all the different skills that players bring to the game, even if they’re not the fastest guys out there.
