Blur-fast linebackers actually tie Indy Combine 40 record at 4.39 seconds; Here's why

Mar 2, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe (LB24) participates in drills during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Auburn football linebacker Owen Pappoe showed everybody at the Combine here Thursday why his nickname is “The Freak.” He and Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith stopped thwatches clock in only 4.39 seconds in 40 yards, which was said to be tied for the second best time ever for linebackers at the Indy Combine. Not true.

They actually tied for the very best because a so-called record 4.38 is not valid in reality, but still listed. More on that later. And before going forward, let's not quibble whether Pappoe is and inside or outside lineback; or if Smith is a defensive lineman or linebacker. They both have and can serve as outiside linebackers, so let's simplify this.

Pappoe, a four-year starter for the Tigers who declared for the 2023 NFL Draft in December, was the first linebacker this year to run a 4.39, pretty good for a 6-0, 225-pounder trying to increase his value. He also led linebackers at the combine with a 10-yard split in 1.52 seconds. He ranked No. 5 in the vertical leap with a 35.5-inch mark and No. 4 in the broad jump, as the Georgia native leaped 10 feet, 6 inches.

Now for Smith. If Pappoe is The Freak, then Smith may be The Super Freak. He entered the 2022 college football season as a potential first-rounder before tearing his right pectoral muscle in late October and missing the rest of the season. Now, barely five months later, Smith put on an incredible show here.

At 6-2 (plus) 238 pounds, Smith soared 41.5 inches in the vertical jump, added a 10-foot-8 broad jump. And then there was his 4.39-second run in the 40-yard dash. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, he is the second-heaviest player to run a sub-4.4 40 and have a 40-plus-inch vertical at the combine since 2006, behind only 254-pound tight end Vernon Davis.

And those 4.39 times are really tied for the best legit clockings by a linebacker in Indy Combine history. The so-called record is nominally given to former UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin for a 4.38 time in 2018. It was a great story because Griffin has a mal-formed left hand and was a great player, but his real 40 time was in the 4.5 area, easy to see in his other run. NFLDraftScout.com got the exclusive story at the time that the clock actually started a tick late.

But after all the commotion on NFL Network over such a great time, it just wasn’t fixed. He went on to have a decent NFL career.

Meantime, two other linebackers ran 40 yards in 4.39 seconds at this combine – Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons (2020) and Penn State’s Mica Parsons (2021). So, truth be told, those two, plus Pappoe and Smith, are co-holders of the record 40-yard time for linebackers in the history of the Indy Combine.

FWIW in a world where we are tracking data to the hundredth of a second.

-- Frank Cooney has covered the draft since 1967 and NFLDraftScout.com has kept exclusive records on the Combine since 1990 and provided all draft informationfor NFL.com, CBS, FOX and most large media.

Latest Player Notes

Ohio State Jack Sawyer
Mar 07, 2023: Where is Jack Sawyer? The former five-star recruit never really took that Year 2 jump some may have anticipated. His raw ... read full note

Colorado Cormani McClain
Mar 07, 2023: Getting two of the best young cornerbacks in the country to come to Boulder was the first step. Now, the Colorado coaches ... read full note

Boise State Ashton Jeanty
Mar 07, 2023: Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty posted a career-high 178 rushing yards in the Broncos' 35-32 win over North Texas ... read full note

LSU Jacobian Guillory
Mar 07, 2023: After joining the defensive line rotation as a redshirt freshman, Jacobian Guillory stayed there last year. He started twice, ... read full note

Clemson Peter Woods
Mar 07, 2023: Monday marked freshman defensive lineman Peter Woods' first career practice as a Tiger. He's easily the most-hyped recruit ... read full note

Brigham Young Kody Epps
Mar 08, 2023: BYU wide receiver Kody Epps isn't your typical sophomore. Thanks to things like the pandemic and a redshirt year, he is already ... read full note

LSU Sage Ryan
Mar 08, 2023: Injuries limited Sage Ryan to four games with two starts as a freshman. Then last year, he became a rotational player who ... read full note

Florida Jason Marshall Jr.
Mar 08, 2023: Florida junior cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. wants to become a more vocal leader on the defense this spring. "There's young ... read full note

Miami Zion Nelson
Mar 08, 2023: Jalen Rivers, who has played mostly guard at UM, again lined up as the first-team left tackle, while Chris Washington was ... read full note

Cincinnati Dee Wiggins
Mar 08, 2023: Louisville transfer Dee Wiggins, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound wide receiver, found several balls Monday. Then again, after transferring ... read full note

See more player notes »

Blur-fast linebackers actually tie Indy Combine 40 record at 4.39 seconds; Here's why

Other Recent Stories

Latest Player Notes