Tailback Lache Seastrunk is the only player in Baylor history with two 1,000-yard seasons, and he has his sights set on even more rarefied air at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Interviewed on Fox Sports 1 on Tuesday, Seastrunk said he believes the can run a sub-4.3 40-yard dash.
"My focal concern is the 40," Seastrunk said. "I set a goal in my head to run below a 4.3, and that's my goal to keep striving for. I know I can do it. It's within reach.
"There's not a lot of running backs that's my size that's running below a 4.3. That's outstanding. That's unreal."
Indeed, it would be unreal. It also seems unrealistic.
Research from nfl.com/combine/top-performers shows that just 11 prospects have run faster than a 4.3 since electronic timing was introduced at the combine in 1999 (Bo Jackson reportedly ran a 4.12 in 1988, but hand-timed clockings are to be taken with a few hundred truckloads of salt). The fastest since 1999: 4.24, by East Carolina running back Chris Johnson in 2008 and by Eastern Kentucky wide receiver Rondel Menendez in 1999.
Seastrunk (5-foot-10, 210 pounds) would be the first 200-pounder since '99 to break 4.3 seconds.
In 2013, Seastrunk led Baylor with 1,177 yards rushing and added 11 rushing touchdowns; he shared carries because the Bears used a three-tailback system. Seastrunk, who has been clocked at sub-4.4 in the 40, battled through a groin injury in 2013, missing two games and being hampered in another.
He began his career at Oregon before transferring to Baylor to be closer to his hometown of Temple, Texas.
Seastrunk's speed and elusiveness make him a big-play threat, but he frequently is guilty of trying to look for the big play rather than just taking what he can get. He has good balance and can stop and start quickly, but some scouts question his vision and patience. His receiving ability is a concern (he had zero receptions in 2013 after just nine in '12), and his blocking is a question, too. In addition, his production lagged as the 2013 season progressed and Baylor played tougher foes; he had eight touchdowns in the first four games but just three the rest of the way.
Still, being the fastest running back in the draft is worth something, and given the jumbled nature of the draft rankings at the position, he definitely has a shot at being one of the first three or four backs off the board.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
