Marquise Goodwin sets his sights on Chris Johnson's record 40 time
Marquise Goodwin ran a 10.24 100-meter dash as a member of Texas' track team. (Eric Gay/AP)
INDIANAPOLIS -- During the 2008 NFL scouting combine, current Titans running back Chris Johnson set a new standard in the 40-yard dash, posting a 4.24 time. Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin will have that mark in his sights when he lines up for his own 40 on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
"I want to run the fastest ever," Goodwin told the media Friday. "That's my goal."
Goodwin may not be the only player at this year's combine who can clock in at under 4.3 seconds -- West Virginia's Tavon Austin, for example, said he's gone as low as 4.29. If anyone is going to unseat Johnson from his perch, though, Goodwin is a safe bet. A track star at Texas and member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team as a long jumper, Goodwin said that he has matched Johnson's 4.24 time in practice.
Goodwin's draft stock is on the rise, mainly due to that world-class speed. He averaged only 30 catches per season over his four years as a Longhorn, with his 26-reception effort in 2012 marking his lowest total. Goodwin did up his yards-per-catch average each season -- from 9.3 as a freshman to 13.1 as a senior -- and set a career high in touchdowns during his final year with three.
The 5-foot-9 speedster also posted a 22.4 yardage average on kick returns, something that NFL teams certainly will notice.
But if Goodwin performs as he plans to at the combine, he'll be on most teams' radars anyway. In addition to eying Johnson's 40 record, Goodwin added that he believes he can break Jerome Simpson's high mark of 11-feet, four inches in the broad jump.
Goodwin insisted that he'll open some eyes during receiving drills, too.
"I'm really looking to prove I'm more than a speed guy," he said.
Helping his draft cause, regardless of what his combine numbers wind up at, will be that his best game of 2012 came in the Longhorns' bowl win over Oregon State. There, Goodwin matched his season best with six catches, caught a TD pass and raced to the end zone on a 64-yard reverse, as well.