OT: Is Calvin Austin the fastest athlete in PGH sports history?

[NatronaHeightsPanther]

Let’s exclude hockey players since they really don’t run, I can’t think of anyone in the history of Pittsburgh sports who could beat him in a foot race. I went down a rabbit hole last night of people saying 4.32 wasn’t really his time at the combine, it was closer to 4.1 or 4.09. If you watch his 40 at the combine at do a frame by frame, they have a point.

I think the only one who could come close to beating him is Dri Archer who played for the Steelers. Am I making a bad omission somewhere?

 

[thebadby2]

Let’s exclude hockey players since they really don’t run, I can’t think of anyone in the history of Pittsburgh sports who could beat him in a foot race. I went down a rabbit hole last night of people saying 4.32 wasn’t really his time at the combine, it was closer to 4.1 or 4.09. If you watch his 40 at the combine at do a frame by frame, they have a point.

I think the only one who could come close to beating him is Dri Archer who played for the Steelers. Am I making a bad omission somewhere?

Lightning U.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Let’s exclude hockey players since they really don’t run, I can’t think of anyone in the history of Pittsburgh sports who could beat him in a foot race. I went down a rabbit hole last night of people saying 4.32 wasn’t really his time at the combine, it was closer to 4.1 or 4.09. If you watch his 40 at the combine at do a frame by frame, they have a point.

I think the only one who could come close to beating him is Dri Archer who played for the Steelers. Am I making a bad omission somewhere?

Jim McGough? Oh no hockey. Sorry.

Dwight Stone was said to have run a 4’20 and willie Parker a 4’25.

I even think Hayward Bey and Michael Vick were mid 4’2’s…but not really applicable as Steelers.

And the reason why I know these stats as I was my own version of Don Beebe, who ran a 4’21. .

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Don’t recall his times but Dwight (hands of) Stone could motor.

 

[DT_PITT]

Let’s exclude hockey players since they really don’t run, I can’t think of anyone in the history of Pittsburgh sports who could beat him in a foot race. I went down a rabbit hole last night of people saying 4.32 wasn’t really his time at the combine, it was closer to 4.1 or 4.09. If you watch his 40 at the combine at do a frame by frame, they have a point.

I think the only one who could come close to beating him is Dri Archer who played for the Steelers. Am I making a bad omission somewhere?

I believe that the thought was that Dorsett would have run in the 4.2’s or better.

 

[PittPanther44]

Jim McGough? Oh no hockey. Sorry.

Dwight Stone was said to have run a 4’20 and willie Parker a 4’25.

I even think Hayward Bey and Michael Vick were mid 4’2’s…but not really applicable as Steelers.

And the reason why I know these stats as I was my own version of Don Beebe, who ran a 4’21. .

Applicable as Steelers especially DHB - but I doubt they (esp Vick) ran that fast at that point.

Maybe young Troy, but that might be more style than straight line speed. Ike was fast as was fast Willie and young Cutch. But the winner might be O’Neil Cruz. Let’s hope he comes back that way.

 

[upj87]

Let’s exclude hockey players since they really don’t run, I can’t think of anyone in the history of Pittsburgh sports who could beat him in a foot race. I went down a rabbit hole last night of people saying 4.32 wasn’t really his time at the combine, it was closer to 4.1 or 4.09. If you watch his 40 at the combine at do a frame by frame, they have a point.

I think the only one who could come close to beating him is Dri Archer who played for the Steelers. Am I making a bad omission somewhere?

Che Nwabuko

 

[Pitt79]

What about Roger Kingdom, 2-time Olympic track gold medalist and Pitt track star? 110-yard hurdles.

 

[goalieman]

Let’s exclude hockey players since they really don’t run, I can’t think of anyone in the history of Pittsburgh sports who could beat him in a foot race. I went down a rabbit hole last night of people saying 4.32 wasn’t really his time at the combine, it was closer to 4.1 or 4.09. If you watch his 40 at the combine at do a frame by frame, they have a point.

I think the only one who could come close to beating him is Dri Archer who played for the Steelers. Am I making a bad omission somewhere?

Ike Taylor, former Steelers DB, was not invited to the NFL Combine but reportedly ran a 4.18 sec 40 yard dash at his pro-day.

Tony Dorsett ran a 4.3 in the 40.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

Satchel Paige famously told the story that James “Cool Papa” Bell could flip the light switch and be in bed before the lights went off. I’d say that’s pretty fast.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Pitt's Lee McRae won the 55m indoor '86 NCAA championship at 6.00 sec (which, at the time, broke Carl Lewis' record).

Simply extrapolating it down, which is tough to truly compare, would be about a 3.99 40.

Still, you have to give it to McRae.

 

[OH Pete]

Billy Gaines was reported to have run a 4.22 at a Rivals camp. Sad that we never got to really see it on the football field.

 

[HailtoPitt]

But can he run a marathon?

 

[PittPanther44]

Ike Taylor, former Steelers DB, was not invited to the NFL Combine but reportedly ran a 4.18 sec 40 yard dash at his pro-day.

Tony Dorsett ran a 4.3 in the 40.

You didn’t really see it on display with Ike as a DB. He did return kickoffs his first year. But since he didn’t have great hands, he never had a ton of splash plays where you saw his speed with the ball. But it helped him be a good corner for years.

Mike Wallace is another one, wish he was a more complete WR. But he had tremendous speed.

 

[TempleBAPittMPA]

Omar Moreno could fly. Miguel Dilone was reportedly faster, but couldn't hit.

 

[Upg bobcat]

I don't know what AB's 40 time was, but he probably burned more DBs deep for long touchdowns than anyone I can remember in a Steelers uniform.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Pitt's Lee McRae won the 55m indoor '86 NCAA championship at 6.00 sec (which, at the time, broke Carl Lewis' record).

Simply extrapolating it down, which is tough to truly compare, would be about a 3.99 40.

Still, you have to give it to McRae.

Yeah, if you are talking all Pittsburgh athletes the question isn't who is the fastest, it's who is second fastest after Lee McRae.

And the answer is almost certainly Roger Kingdom.

 

[Jeffburgh]

What about Roger Kingdom, 2-time Olympic track gold medalist and Pitt track star? 110-yard hurdles.

Beat me to it.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Not the fastest, but throw Rod Woodson into the conversation.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Not the fastest, but throw Rod Woodson into the conversation.

Damn how could we all have failed to mention him? Well done by you Jeff, but a real poor showing by the rest of us. Lol.

 

[Jakey_John]

Mike Wallace was an absolute blazer like someone mentioned. “Fast” Willie Parker was probably pretty speedy too. Abanakanda is deceptively fast. Eric Pegram, Antwann Randle El, Santonio Holmes were all impressive. The nameless most recent Biletnekoff winner is also very quick.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Yeah, if you are talking all Pittsburgh athletes the question isn't who is the fastest, it's who is second fastest after Lee McRae.

And the answer is almost certainly Roger Kingdom.

McRae's 60m Pitt indoor record was 6.50 (extrapolated down to a 3.96 forty). Just this past indoor season, Stephon Brown ran a 6.65 60m for Pitt (extrapolated to a 4.05 forty) and teammate Che Nwabuko ran a 6.71 (extrapolated to 4.09).

Kingdom is in 3rd for the school record for 60m hurdles, so I don't even know if he'd be #2.

But you have to get through a few of track talent before you get to the football players.

 

[CrazyPaco]

McRae's 60m Pitt indoor record was 6.50 (extrapolated down to a 3.96 forty). Just this past indoor season, Stephon Brown ran a 6.65 60m for Pitt (extrapolated to a 4.05 forty) and teammate Che Nwabuko ran a 6.71 (extrapolated to 4.09).

Kingdom is in 3rd for the school record for 60m hurdles, so I don't even know if he'd be #2.

But you have to get through a lot of track talent before you get to the football players.

Rod Woodson's was a 2X All-American hurdler at Purdue (finished 2nd at NCAAs in the 55m hurdles). His best 55m (non hurdle) time was a 6.18 in the 50m and his 60m time was a 6.70, just to give you a comparison. That means Pitt track currently has two sprinters on the roster (soph and junior) about as fast or faster than Woodson was.

 

[steelcurtain55.]

All these reports saying these guys run true sub 4.4's are a joke.

I'm talking true electronic starts/electronic stops. Not what the NFL uses in with the electronic start and the handheld finish.

The NFL combine prior to the mid 90's was all handheld times. Bo didn't run 4.12 and neither did Deion. Vick wasn't running 4.3 while stumbling out of the gates. Joey Galloway wasn't running sub 4 second 40's.


In the late 90's there was a small window where they used full electronic times. The times were typically .24 seconds slower. Then you started seeing guys skipping the 40 at the combine and only doing at their pro-day. Then the NFL came up with a compromise and started doing electronic starts and handheld finishes in order to get the top guys back to Indy testing.

The thing is though was Bo and Deion never trained for the 40. Galloway said he never could've played a football game while he was the combine because he only trained for the 40. He would've been gassed after a quarter. It's the same reason why 40 might become obsolete in football testing. Nowadays they just put the radar gun on you while you're playing and track your MPH.

 

[pittguy81]

Pitt's Lee McRae held the world record in the 55M and 60M, breaking Carl Lewis' records at the time

 

[Dan1911]

Pitt alum Roger Kingdom says, “ Hold my beer.”

 

[Dan1911]

Spratling ran the fastest, most insane leg of a relay I ever saw.

 

[Upg bobcat]

Spratling ran the fastest, most insane leg of a relay I ever saw.

View embedded media

This is the craziest anchor I've ever seen:

 

[Jeffburgh]

Spratling ran the fastest, most insane leg of a relay I ever saw.

View embedded media

I LOVE this, watched it countless times.

 

[pittguy81]

This is the craziest anchor I've ever seen:

View embedded media

I was there and we were sitting right by Lauren's mother. She was going bat shit crazy. It was great.

 

[steelcurtain55.]

I was there and we were sitting right by Lauren's mother. She was going bat shit crazy. It was great.

I was too. It's one of the all time greatest performances in PIAA history.

 

[upj87]

Let’s exclude hockey players since they really don’t run, I can’t think of anyone in the history of Pittsburgh sports who could beat him in a foot race. I went down a rabbit hole last night of people saying 4.32 wasn’t really his time at the combine, it was closer to 4.1 or 4.09. If you watch his 40 at the combine at do a frame by frame, they have a point.

I think the only one who could come close to beating him is Dri Archer who played for the Steelers. Am I making a bad omission somewhere?

Until there is a Seinfeld-like run off between he and Slovis I will reserve judgement on that "fastest" title...My guess is Kedon will "choose not to run"

 

[CJsE]

I don't understand these fantasy numbers some people are throwing out there of sub-4 40-times considering that the slowest splits are going to come at the front of the 40 with the first 10 meter split taking more than twice as long the the 4th+ 10m splits.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Ok, not counting Pitt track stats, actual Pittsburgh team sports, who is the fastest.

McRae and kingdom technically were on the team for a minute but not really

 

[HailToPitt725]

In terms of Steeler players, the one guy that might come close to Austin and Archer is Stefan Logan, who I believe came right before Archer.

 

[TempleBAPittMPA]

McRae and kingdom technically were on the team for a minute but not really

Yeah, I can recall HillBiilly calling "Roger Kingdom back deep for the Panthers", and I'm thinking "Kingdom? Is that really somebody's name?" A few years later, the world would know it.

 

[pitt90seven]

nobody moved faster than franco on a free meal. maybe wlat on a lonely booster's wife is a close 2nd.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

nobody moved faster than franco on a free meal. maybe wlat on a lonely booster's wife is a close 2nd.

if you are a booster and the HC bangs your wife, do you still keep donating money to the program and remain a booster? have to imagine that would be a tough call.

 

[Pitt79]

if you are a booster and the HC bangs your wife, do you still keep donating money to the program and remain a booster? have to imagine that would be a tough call.

If you can't use your position of power to get laid, what good is it?

 

[pitt90seven]

if you are a booster and the HC bangs your wife, do you still keep donating money to the program and remain a booster? have to imagine that would be a tough call.

depends on your kink level. maybe the booster is the one who set it up in the 1st place.