Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin ran the 40-yard dash in just 4.27 seconds Sunday at the NFL scouting combine, easily the fastest time of the day and just shy of Chris Johnson's all-time dash record.
The 5-foot-9 Goodwin was the only player to post a 40 time faster than 4.3 seconds. He ran the dash just three-hundredths of a second slower than Johnson, the Tennessee Titans star running back who clocked a record 4.24 seconds at the 2008 combine.
Goodwin caught 26 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns for Texas last season, and also ran for three scores.
His athletic talents are no secret. He competed for the United States in the long jump at the 2012 Olympics, where he qualified for the finals.
Auburn running back Onterio McCalebb, West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin and Texas A&M wide receiver Ryan Swope all posted the second-fastest time at 4.34 seconds.
McCalebb initially generated buzz when his unofficial time came in at 4.21 seconds, which would have broken Johnson's record.
Johnson, who evidently was keeping tabs on Sunday's 40-yard dash times, tweeted: "Listen 4.21 thats childish."
When McCalebb's official time was listed at 4.34 seconds, Johnson went back to Twitter, expressing relief that his record remained intact.
"Can't lie that one scared me," he tweeted.
Arkansas running back Knile Davis (4.37), TCU wideout Josh Boyce (4.38) and Oklahoma receiver Kenny Stills (4.38) all posted sub-4.4 times.
Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson, rated as the top-ranked wide receiver by ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, ran the dash in 4.42 seconds.
Denard Robinson, who played quarterback at Michigan but came to the combine as a receiver, also impressed with a 40-yard dash time of 4.43 seconds.
West Virginia's Geno Smith posted the fastest time among quarterbacks at 4.59 seconds.
ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.
