NFLVideo

NFL Prospect Shamarko Thomas Faceplanted After His 40, And Still Ran The Best Time Of Any Safety At The Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine was going extremely well for Shamarko Thomas, a safety out of Syracuse. He did 28 reps of 225 pounds on the bench, tops among defensive backs at the combine. (Yeah, he measured in at a shade under 5-9, but it’s not like anyone expected him to be tall.) Then, he lined up for the 40. Feedback from the NFL Network analysts was positive. He’s a heat-seeking missile going after the ball. He’s faster than people think. His run got off to a fine start. He had the look of a guy really helping his own draft stock. And then, at the end…

The good news for Thomas: even with the fall, he ran a 4.38 unofficial time. That’s awfully good. The just-as-good news: his final, adjusted, official time was 4.42, which took top honors among safeties. And on top of all that, he recorded an impressive 40.5-inch vertical jump. Hell of a combine all around. The only bad news? The internet has decided to remember one thing about his performance above all else:

He’ll take it, we imagine.