Tennessee Sprinter Christian Coleman Runs 40-Yard Dash in 4.12 Seconds

The NFL draft causes onlookers to fixate on the 40-yard dash, a popular drill used to measure a prospect's speed. University of Tennessee track star Christian Coleman showed them all how it's done by completing the sprint in 4.12 seconds recently.

John Ross broke Chris Johnson's record (4.24) by clocking a 4.22 time at this year's NFL Scouting Combine. The display vaulted the wide receiver up draft boards, and the Cincinnati Bengals selected him at pick No. 9.

Coleman, a junior who earned a spot on the U.S. men's 4x100-meter relay team in the 2016 Summer Olympics, shattered that mark. 

Tennessee football's head coach, Butch Jones, took notice:

It makes sense that a renowned sprinter excelled in a showcase of his specialty more so than any football player, who cannot flourish solely on short-distance speed. The combine's 40 times—one small piece of a massive puzzle—often get overblown during draft season.

But that doesn't take away from the fact that Coleman is very, very fast.

[University of Tennessee Track and Field/Cross Country]