Noah Lyles vs. Tyreek Hill race would be good for TV, but not competitive on the track
A few days after Xavier Worthy broke the NFL combine 40-yard dash record, USA TODAY Sports sarcastically asked the then-draft prospect if he thought he could beat Usain Bolt in the 40-yard dash.
Bolt, the former Jamaican track and field superstar, eight-time Olympic gold medalist, and 100- and 200-meter world-record holder, effortlessly ran a 4.22 in the 40-yard dash in sweats and sneakers at the NFL Experience in 2019.
Worthy clocked in with an NFL combine record-setting time of 4.21 at the 2024 NFL scouting combine.
'No,' Worthy answered when asked if he could beat Bolt. 'His 40 was in shoes and sweats. There's no comparison. I'm not even gonna disrespect him.'
MORE: What is the fastest NFL combine 40-yard dash time?
Worthy's honest assessment applies to Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, too.
Hill and Olympic 100-meter champion Noah Lyles have playfully gone back and forth about competing against each other in a race. Their scheduled race was canceled in June due to what Lyles described as "complications" and "personal reasons."
The race would've been good publicity for both athletes and brought more casual fans to the sport of track and field. But let's stop the charade. Hill is not in the same league as Lyles or any world-class sprinter when it comes to speed.
Hill did beat Lyles' younger brother, Josephus, in a 100 prelim at the ATX Sprint Classic on Saturday with a wind-aided time of 10.10. Hill conveniently elected not to run in the final, where the top five finishers all ran sub-10 seconds (all times were wind-aided).
Hill, who competed in track and field in college, has a personal best legal time of 10.15 seconds in the 100 meters. The Dolphins wideout would've placed ninth at the 2024 U.S. Olympic track and field trials if he equaled his record.
Hill's top mark in the 60 is 6.64. His record in the 60 would've been good enough for eighth in the event at the 2025 U.S. Indoor track and field championships.
Noah won a gold medal in the 100 at the Paris Olympics with a personal-best of 9.79. His lifetime best in the 60 is 6.43. Both times are comfortably ahead of Hill's all-time best marks.
Furthermore, Noah's 10 best times in the 100 are sub-9.90. His top 10 times in the 60 are all 6.55 or better. All of which are faster than Hill's lifetime best in both events.
The times don't lie. They reveal the obvious truth.
Yes, the Noah Lyles vs. Tyreek Hill showdown would've been entertaining for sports fans. They are two of the biggest stars in their respective sports. But it wouldn't have been a competitive race.
Hill is arguably the fastest person in the NFL (although Worthy might have something to say about that). Lyles currently holds the title of the fastest man in the world, having won the Olympic gold medal in the 100. They are marquee athletes, but there's a distinct difference between football speed and world-class track speed.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
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