Jets CB Antonio Cromartie has always been an outstanding athlete, dating back to his high school days in Tallahassee, FL, and his college career at Florida State. Besides excelling in football, he ran track, specializing in the 200 and 400 meters, the 110-meter hurdles and the triple jump.
That should have meant that the 2006 NFL Combine played to Cro's strengths, but eight months earlier he tore his ACL. As a result, his 4.47 seconds in the 40 was well off of the top time among defensive backs that year, the 4.30 of Clemson's Tye Hill, and he didn't participate in the three-cone drill or the 20-yard shuttle.
But Cromartie let it fly in the Combine broad jump. His 11'0" distance was tied for second among DBs that year with Donte Whitner of Ohio State and one inch behind the 11'1" of FSU teammate Pat Watkins — and it's still tied for 10th-best among all DBs since 2005.
A few weeks later, Cromartie turned in a 4.38 40 at his pro day, improved his vertical jump from 38" to 42", reeled off a 3.89-second time in the 20 shuttle, and was on his way to being the 19th pick of the '06 draft by the Chargers.
