When people talk about the NFL Scouting Combine, they usually obsess over the speed demons. You know the names: John Ross, Xavier Worthy, Chris Johnson. The guys who blur past the finish line before the stopwatch even settles. But there's another side to the record books that’s just as fascinating, though a lot less glamorous.
Honestly, we need to talk about Regis Crawford.
In 2004, an offensive lineman from Arizona State stepped up to the line for his 40-yard dash. He wasn't the biggest guy there, and he certainly wasn't the fastest. By the time he crossed the finish line, he had etched his name into the history books for a reason most athletes would rather forget. The Regis Crawford 40 yard dash clocked in at a staggering 6.05 seconds (some official NFL records even cite 6.07).
It remains the slowest electronic time ever recorded at the Combine since the league started keeping formal digital records in 2003.
Why the Regis Crawford 40 Yard Dash Still Matters
Why are we still talking about a six-second sprint twenty years later? Because it’s an anomaly. To put it in perspective, the average offensive guard usually runs somewhere between a 5.2 and a 5.4. Crawford didn't just miss the mark; he was in a completely different zip code.
He was 6'2" and weighed about 316 pounds at the time. While that sounds heavy to a normal person, it's actually relatively light for an interior lineman in the NFL. Usually, the guys running six-second times are massive "mountain" tackles pushing 360 pounds. Crawford was a "smaller" guard who just... couldn't get moving.
Speed isn't everything for a guard, but the 40-yard dash is a proxy for "explosiveness." NFL scouts look at the 10-yard split more than the full 40. If you can't get off the line fast enough to pull or strike a defensive tackle, you're in trouble. Crawford’s lack of burst was a massive red flag that basically ended his NFL dreams before they started.
The Context of the 2004 Combine
The 2004 Combine was a different era. We didn't have the high-tech training facilities like EXOS or MJP that players use today to shave tenths off their times. Back then, some guys just showed up and ran.
- Regis Crawford: 6.05 seconds
- Average Guard: ~5.30 seconds
- John Ross (Record Holder): 4.22 seconds
Crawford’s time was so slow that it’s often used as a benchmark for the "worst-case scenario" in draft prep. If you're a prospect today and you run a 5.8, you're considered "undraftable" in terms of athleticism. Crawford went way beyond that.
What Happened to Regis Crawford?
It’s easy to joke about a slow time, but Crawford was a legitimate college athlete. He played for the Arizona State Sun Devils and was actually a pretty versatile guy. He spent time at left tackle and right guard, and even won a "Hard Hat" award for his work in the winter strength and conditioning program.
He wasn't lazy. He just wasn't a sprinter.
After the Regis Crawford 40 yard dash went viral (well, as viral as things could go in 2004), the NFL didn't exactly come calling with a first-round contract. He went undrafted. However, he did sign with the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent in April 2004. He didn't make the final roster and was released in August.
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He didn't give up immediately, though. Crawford headed overseas to play for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe. He appeared in 10 games as a center, proving that he could actually play football at a professional level, even if he couldn't beat a brisk jogger in a footrace.
Does the 40-Yard Dash Even Matter for Linemen?
This is the big debate. Does a 300-pound man ever need to run 40 yards in a straight line during a game? Almost never.
However, the 40-yard dash measures:
- Initial Burst: The first 10 yards.
- Body Control: How they carry their weight.
- Work Capacity: Whether they trained specifically for the test.
When a player runs a 6.05, it tells scouts that the player might lack the fast-twitch muscle fibers required to compete against elite NFL defensive ends who are getting faster every year. If you can't move your feet, you can't block. It's that simple.
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Lessons for Modern Athletes
If you're an aspiring player looking at the Regis Crawford 40 yard dash time, there are a few takeaways. First, technique is everything. Crawford's start was likely inefficient, and his upright running posture created too much drag.
Modern training focuses on "triple extension"—getting the ankles, knees, and hips to fire in unison. Crawford looked like he was fighting the turf. For big men today, the goal isn't to be "fast," it's to be "efficiently explosive."
Actionable Insights for Draft Prep:
- Prioritize the 10-yard split: Nobody cares about the last 20 yards for an OG. Focus on that first burst.
- Weight Management: If you’re carrying "bad" weight, it shows up in the 40. Crawford was 316 lbs, but his speed suggested he wasn't carrying it well.
- Understand the Benchmark: If you're over 5.6 seconds as a lineman, you're entering the "danger zone" for scouting reports.
The legacy of Regis Crawford isn't one of failure, but rather a reminder of how elite the NFL really is. Even a "slow" college player like Crawford was still an All-Pac-10 level talent who made it to an NFL camp and played professionally in Europe. The bar is just that high.
Next Steps for Researching Combine History:
- Track the 10-yard splits of current offensive line prospects to see how they compare to the historical average.
- Examine the correlation between 40-yard dash times and "snap-to-contact" speed in game film.
- Look into the training regimens of modern guards who have successfully dropped their times into the sub-5.0 range.