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[[Laveranues Coles]] (4.2)<ref>Worgo, Tom. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCL/is_5_33/ai_111265549 "Money in the bank."] ''Football Digest'', January 2004.</ref>,
and [[Alexander Wright (football player)|Alexander Wright]] (4.09)<ref>Whitt, Richie. [http://www.dallasobserver.com/Issues/2006-04-06/news/whitt.html "Fast Track: Former Cowboy's big dreams diverted to small schools."] ''[[Dallas Observer]]'', April 6, 2006.</ref> have approached that mark.
Although 40 yards is always run, the [[60 metres|60 meter dash]] is not a well-regulated track and field distance, the official record for which is 6.39 seconds. Tapes of sprinter [[Ben Johnson (athlete)|Ben Johnson]]'s world-record breaking 1988 [[100 meter dash]] (which was later annulled due to Johnson's steroid use), however, show that Johnson ran the 60 m in 6.37 seconds; this is considered the most quickly started race ever run.<ref>Zeigler, Mark. [http://www.usoc.org/11611_32384.htm "The NFL treats 40-yard dash times as sacred."] ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'', April 20, 2005.</ref> Johnson covered the first 40 meters in 4.53 seconds. It is often reported wrongly that Johnsons first 40 yards was timed. It was actually his first 40 meters. Which translates to an exceptionally fast 40 yard time (4.14 seconds). Little known Taylor Paul, known for his agility and athleticism, ran an unofficial 40 time of 4.23 in 1998. Some refutiate this claim, but coaches media, and onlookers who were at the 98 combine remember that legendary 40 yard dash.
However, in [[track and field]] races, the runner must [[reaction time|react]] to the starting gun, which can take 0.10 to 0.20 seconds. For electronically timed 40 yard dashes, the runner is allowed to start when he wishes, and a timer hand-starts the clock (after a reaction time of 0.1 to 0.2 seconds). This difference would indicate that, at peak form, Johnson would have been electronically timed in 4.04 to 4.14 seconds, or hand-timed in about 4.00 seconds, making claims of hand-held times in the 4.1-4.2 range more credible.
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