Top 10 Fastest Players In NFL History 

To clarify: Darrell Green ran a 4.43 on his 50th birthday.

Bob Hayes is the fastest. Not only did he *actually* run in the Olympics, he was *actually* the world's fastest man at one point. He's also the reason why zone defense even exists.

You know your fast when they name a track meet after you. The Bob Hayes invitational.

Deion was so quick that at the combine he showed up and ran the 40 so fast the camera man couldn't even get a shot of him.

There’s fast. Then there’s fast in pads.

I would of loved to have seen Bo play a whole career in the NFL, I wonder what kind of records he might of had. He was a beast

I met Cliff Branch a few years ago. Great player. Nice guy.

Gault's speed has translated fantastically for the masters division of track and field. He holds the world records for fastest 100 m for the 45, 50, and 55 year-old age brackets.

I remember Willie Gault from Techmo Bowl on NES. Also Bo Jackson was on the same team. The LA Raiders were massively OP

Daryl Green ran 4.5 second 40 yard dash at the age of 50 🤯.

I raced Darrell Green during the summer 1989 at A.S.C. Football camp in PA. I ran a 4.43s going into my Sr. year of HS. Then he must’ve said, “Let me show that young buck how to run. I swear Darrell Green smoked me side-by-side with a blistering 4.2 without stretching prior to the race. I had been running track since age 8 and before then, I had never been beaten by another football player. It was a strange feeling. No matter what I did, it felt like I was back-pedaling😂 He gave me a key pointer regarding the start which, along with continued weightlifting helped be improve to 4.39s in college.

I enjoyed watching D. Green. He usually ended up in man coverage againt the elite receivers but few quarterbacks made a steady diet of picking on him without getting intercepted. His ability to jump to light speed and close on routes was astounding and he was a true elite athelete who took care of himself and was always ready, He lost battles against certain wideouts but usually won the war.

Tyreek's 0-60 acceleration and direction changing prowess add value to his speed. Raw speed is one thing, elusive speed is another.

Green was still running a 4.39 in his 19th year in football. One thing for sure, his speed lasted longer in football than any football player. He deserves #1!

They need to bring back the NFL's fastest player competition, that will be epic

...and Bo was completely unstoppable in Techmo Bowl!

I was about to get mad thinking Darrell Green was left off the list lol

last time i was this early trace mcsorley was a super bowl mvp

I remember watching the game where Green ran down Eric Dickerson.

What about devin Hester

They forgot about Joey Galloway, he once ran a 4.18 in the 40 yd dash Played for the Buckeyes and the Cowboys.

Mike Vick was exciting, it’s like replacing your QB with your running back on madden and upping his pass efficiency

Excellent video, well done!

Here's a fact for ya: I met Cliff Branch in a Walmart in California on a trip 2 weeks before he passed. RIP Cliff! Edit: Wow, watching NFL Honors right now, and he made it to Canton. I have so much respect for this man, it doesn't even make sense.

My dad ran with Cliff Branch and George Daniels in the early 70's at the track they had by the baseball field east of the campus. Taught me how to run, good times.

I thought Bob Hayes would show up on the bottom of this list because of advancements in speed training, but showing at #2 and debatably #1 after so many years just tells you how fast he really was.

Darrel Green wasnt just fast, he was also a great technician and one of the best return men in history.

Should do a fastest players by size. Christian Okoye running a 4.4 at 260 pounds is way more impressive then these 180 pound guys doing it

5:34 I legit couldnt see his arms for a hot minute. I thought he was armless

Cliff Branch 🌟 A SHAME he’s not in the NFL HOF😳 I’m not even a Raider fan🏈 Bo also at 230 lbs.🌟⚡️ what he did those 4 years was THE BIGGEST MAGNITUDE 👑 in baseball too! I’m almost 59 and remember these old school legendary players ⚡️

I saw Darrell Green race Ron Brown (Raiders). Both were amazing. Ron Brown ran at US trails. He should've been on this list

Bo Jackson at full speed was incredible to watch at his size!! Knock a guy over just running past him

I always loved Mike Vick except when he played the panthers we could never stop him & Moss said “they can’t jump wit me”

Great list and vid. Ron Brown was the one guy I expected to see but didn't.

MAN!!! THE BEST WAY TO SPEND MY LUNCH BREAK! This list was great! Seeing everyone in their prime from "THE BULLET" to "THE CHEETAH" has been a true football blessing to me. You really can't debate or argue about any of these.

Hey don’t forget Darrell green out ran rookie champ Bailey at training camp and green was over 40 years old

4.5 at 50 years old!!!! Crazy

Good list

Plunkett to Branch -great memories. Willy Gault also.

Herschel Walker should be on the list along with Ron Brown

Bob Hayes is the fastest PERIOD. Look at the track he ran on.

Its also even more impressive that Vick was in fact a lefty

Ok so I have to tell this Darrell Green story from my childhood in DC. Huge Skins fan-huge- and only thing I loved more at 14 years old was their LC Darrell Green. In 1984 in Washington DC there was no bigger D. Green fan in the world. I would sing his praises to all my friends constantly and we had huge debates about who was the fasted man in the NFL all the time. I of course claimed that Darrell Green was not only the fastest in the NFL but also: Fasted man in the World. My friends- many of whom were not only not Skins fans but in fact COWBOYS fans (of all things!)- and all of them to a man thought I was full of shite. We argued constantly on the matter and it even got to the point that we decided to call a local legend sportscaster named Ken Beatrice- while he was broadcasting on the radio- to have him settle it once and for all. Much to my chagrin- Beatrice totally destroyed me and my hero D. Green on air, claiming that Green (though fast) would get smoked by truly "elite" runners like Ron Brown (Olympic sprinter on the Rams) and Willie Gault especially, who he said was in "another league" than Green. With my friends all cat calling and razzing me he then threw in that Green would even lose to a Darrel Turner (a nobody wr in Seattle). It was too much. I was so mad. Especially at that old windbag on the radio. "What did HE know?" I reasoned. Anyway, I don't know what it was but I just would never let it go. Partially because I considered myself (and still do!) very fast. Certainly the fastest of all my friends. And I felt like I just KNEW speed when I saw it. And when I saw Darrell Green track down the very fleet of foot Tony Dorset from behind after spotting him 30 yards on a 99 yard break away run at RFK stadium in person, with my own eyes, I KNEW. Just knew he was the fastest ever. Now the story would have ended there and we'd never really have known BUT... In about 1987 low and behold, came word of a competition that was coming- to Palm Desert California. It was to be called the NFL's fastest man (or something to that effect), and it would feature a who's who of the NFL's elite speed including: Willie Gault AND Ron Brown. And in the very last slot- the 8th and final competitor would be.. Darrell Green!! Needless to say the next time my large gang of friends met up hanging out at the courts- I was all a twitter. We talked about it for weeks, and honestly at that time, I was seemingly the ONLY one- even in D.C.- that thought Green would win. Soo.. the day finally came. In the first heat Green went up against Phillip Epps- a ridiculously quick receiver for the Packers. Epps would turn out to be his stiffest competition of the day but he squeaked by to earn the win and advance to the 2nd (of 3) rounds. In round 2 - the famous and "elite" Ron Brown. Green annihilated him. Not even close. Dusted the Olympian. On to the 3rd and final round where he would face the great Willie Gault (mentioned in this video). The same Willie gault that Beatrice on the radio said was in another league. Darrell Green whooped him. Even worse than Brown. Totally and completely SMOKED! Needless to say, I was in the faces of ALL my boys with the greatest street level real time comeuppance anyone in 1980's DC could ever imagine. Yes we called back the radio station. When we got on air Beatrice pretended that he had never said that to which we all whooped and hollered and hissed at until he disconnected us. Bottom line folks: Darrell Green was the fastest person Ive EVER seen in the NFL- and second fastest ever.. after Bolt. With an honorable mention to Deion (best cover corner ever-hands down GOAT) and the great Bo Jackson (maybe best all around athlete in the modern era)- none of them could touch Green. There is a funny follow up story that happened years later that falls under the "never meet your heroes" category that I wont go into here, but suffice it to say my close up encounter with my childhood sports hero did not nor ever could deter from what my friends & I will always know: Darrell Green was the fastest to ever play in the NFL. -JC

Green also holds the record for most consecutive seasons with an interception, at 19.

The thing about Darrell Green is that he was SO FAST for SO LONG. He played 20 years and he was STILL the fastest man on the field.

Mike Vick is the fastest QB ever. Lamar Jackson: Hold my poop.

Bo Jackson once ran a 4.13 forty yrd dash time in a pre-draft sprint without really warming up. Bo was the all-time "Freakish Athlete" who combined warp speed, world class multi-sport skills and Dog-nasty power.

D Sanders was one of the best punt return ers as well. He was quoted as saying " I wish everyone on my team would just fall down " so he could get a punt return touchdown that wasn't called back because of a Special Team's penalty. Sick athlete.

Won't it be great to have both Bob Hayes and Tyreek Hill going against Deion Sanders and Darrell Green?

Could you do best players who were small for their positions?

I miss those pro bowl races

Bring that race back

Lamar Jackson to Michael Vick..."Hold my beer"

“Three jets defenders”. Doesn’t even mention Revis was one

I would love playing with Chris Johnson and Mike Vick in Madden bc how fast he was.

Oh shit I misread the title I thought it was the fattest players in NFL history, my bad. I guess that fact makes your video pretty damn good and accurate. U got a like from me buddy good job

Honorable mention DeSean Jackson.... dude has incredible speed and owns the deep ball game

I saw Randy Moss play when he was at Marshall University in 1996. He could really run.

Forrest Gump was so close but went into shrimpin' instead.

I am surprised James Jett is not mentioned. He also has Olympic Gold as a sprinter and played on the fastest receiving Corp ever. Willie Gault, Rocket Ishmael, Tim Brown, and Jett.

A solid list for sure! Cliff Branch was close friends with my next door neighbor. Met the man at my own house, dude seemed like a gem. R.I.P. Cliff.

When Randy went deep over Revis he cemented his legacy.

I watched the '64 Olympics, watched Hayes NFL career, I've seen Green, seen Bolt run....... I'm sticking with Hayes.🏈

I was a back up and offensive line man I ran a 4.6 and 4.7 I got serious with stretching before working out.

I'm gonna go buy some tootsie rolls and start putting them in my socks. I'm out of shape and when we go back to I ain't trying to be late to any classes🤣🤣🤣🤣

This list is dope

The 40 is a good measure of acceleration. It does not mean you have a higher top speed. Just ask any drag car driver. A car with a lower elapsed time over the 1/4 mile can also have a slower top speed than the car it just beat. Back in the old days, Art Arfons had a jet engine propelled dragster called the green monster. Even when he lost the race, he usually had a higher top speed. The jet was very slow off the line but had tremendous acceleration over the last half of the race.

They forgot about Leon Sandcastle. I think he ran somewhere around 4.29.

My 40 yard dash is around 11 second on an empty stomach with no headwind!!

"Then he immediately got back into the limo he came in" *shows a lamborghini*

Green made me love watching NFLs fastest man back in the day

@5:22 LOL!!!! 😆😆😆😆😆😆🤣🤣

Herschel walker ran a 4.35 forty when he was 47 yrs old

Anyone heard of Reynaldo Nehemiah? another olympian in the 110 m hurdles and receiver for the 49rs?

Henry Carr was a world record holder at 200 meters. He played for the Giants in the mid-1960's. I remember him running down some receiver on one play. As I recall, he ran in front of the wr, turned around and, facing him, made the tackle.

Not enough full play highlights that showcase the speed of the players

Never been this early

"got back into the limo" *Picture shows him in a Lamborghini*

Can we get that NFL race back? Like the dunk contest for the NBA I wanna sees it

Next do the fastest player in every position

I ran a 4.68 second 40 yard dash lol

When I finished my SEAL training in the Navy I ran a 4:13 in a mile and 59:48 for my ten mile run.

Deon got that idea from Willie Mays Hays from the movie Major leagues.

So you telling me that that Daryl green runs a 4.5 at 50 years old bro that’s my time and I’m 14 he shouldn’t be going that fast 😂

I ran a 4.4 in high school after recovering from a broken L4 vertebra.

"Cliff Branch is the NFL's pioneer speed demon." You misspelled Bob Hayes.

In high school we had a fat man relay on our track team which consisted of linemen from the football team I ran a leg and my 40 yard dash time was 4.62 sec.

Seeing tyreek hill at number 4 in the thumbnail had me know this was gunna be some bs

Daryl Green ran a 4.24 electronic timing on his 40th birthday. It was on sportscenter.

I would check my 40 yard time - but I can’t seem to find my hourglass.

MIKE Vike Era was the most exciting

I enjoyed this!!!! I ran a 4.4 in high school but these guys are the standard in every way!!!!! Whew.....

Yo where is John Ross he has the fastest official 40 yard dash time

honorable mention vote: Steve Smith. Never knew about Bob Hayes, that is wild!!

Bro tyreek hill is the fastest player ever

just saying, starting in fifth gear makes acceleration slower

Pewdiepie and Gorgon Ramsay in one video.... I can die happy now

One thing I find interesting is that while we always talk about players being bigger/stronger/faster nowadays, a lot of these guys played in the NFL decades ago and were clearly faster than a lot of players today. Even with the advancements in training and medicine. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the old school players weren't sitting in front of phones or TV screens for their entire lives. When they were bored growing up, they ran and played sports. You look at guys like Bo or Darrell Green, they simply look more athletic than anyone playing today. Something about how naturally they move. They weren't training to put up a good 40 time in the combine, they were simply phenomenal athletes.

Every Ravens fan when they say Vick’s the fastest web ever: 😬😬😬

10 year olds: WhERe is dK!