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EspañolThe NFL combine gives college prospects a chance to become draft class darlings, but the results from combine testing do not always guarantee NFL stardom.
Regardless, some of the best athletes who test in the so-called "Underwear Olympics" live on in the memories of NFL draft aficionados.
Wide receiver John Ross, with his 4.22-second 40-yard dash time, a new record at the time, is among combine superstars who turned testing numbers into a higher draft pick – Ross went ninth overall – and didn't pan out. The same is true for defenders Aaron Curry and Mike Mamula. Both are former top-10 picks that earned a draft stock boost after outstanding combine performances but were out of the league within five years.
As this year's NFL scouting combine gets underway in Indianapolis, USA TODAY Sports is taking a look back at some of the greatest combine performances of all time. Some of these players have gone on to become impact players, while others have not had careers quite as stellar.
Xavier Worthy is Speed
Before Worthy was a first-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs, he was an NFL combine star. The wide receiver prospect from Texas became the new 40-yard dash record-holder at the 2024 NFL combine, breaking John Ross's 4.22 mark with a time of 4.21 seconds.
After a 4.25-second first attempt, Worthy clocked an unofficial time of 4.22 seconds on his second run. Moments later, the NFL announced his official time was 4.21 seconds, beating out Ross for the all-time record.