Manti Te’o ran the 40-yard dash at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday afternoon, and his time of 4.82 seconds failed to impress scouts and other officials in attendance.
The NFL front office believed the linebacker would finish the 40-yard dash with a sub-4.75 seconds marker.
Instead the 6-feet-1¼ inches, 241 pound linebacker came short of his goal and landed towards the back of the pack. Manti Te’o finished 20 out of 26 in the 40-yard dash.
In comparison, Missouri’s Zaviar Gooden posted the fastest time among linebackers with an impressive 4.47 seconds.
Watching as he took the field were the NFL’s top general managers, coaches, and team scouts.
The 40-yard dash is an important marker for a players potential. Quick bursts of speed at the snap can often mean the difference of allowing a touchdown or manufacturing a turnover.
With Te’o failing to impress in the 40-yard dash, he will now need to excel in all other areas. Te’o was attempting to redeem himself after a poor outing during the Discover BCS National Championship against Alabama.
Despite his less than stellar performance in the 40, Te’o is still among the top players for the NFL drafts first round. Several analysts have Te’o going in the top 20.
ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay’s mock draft has Te’o heading to the Chicago Bears with the 20th overall pick in the first round.
As if the distraction of his fake dead girlfriend wasn’t enough, questions about his sexual orientation are also now popping up.
Do you think Manti Te’o will be knocked down a few rankings because of his poor 40-yard dash performance?
