Of all the football players from Alabama’s high schools and colleges who’ve tried to reach the pros, which one ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the annual NFL Scouting Combine?

A new group of players will have an opportunity to become the answer to that question next week in Indianapolis, where the NFL Scouting Combine will be held for the 36th time.

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For the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, players will arrive for testing and interviews in four groups and will be on the field from March 2 through 5.

At the 2020 event, Henry Ruggs III ran the fastest 40-yard dash by a player with Alabama football roots in the past 22 events. Ruggs’ 4.27-second clocking pushed J.J. Nelson off the top spot by 0.01 of a second.

Ruggs’ 40 is tied for the seventh-fastest run at the combine since 2000. Washington wide receiver John Ross in 2017 and Tennessee wide receiver Donte Stallworth in 2002 are tied in the top spot at 4.22 seconds.

Of the six measurable drills used at the combine, the 40 is the marquee event. Records from the early combines can be sketchy, but complete data is available starting with the 2000 event. These are the 10 fastest 40 times since that year by players from Alabama high schools and colleges:

1. Henry Ruggs III, Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama: 4.27 seconds

The fastest 40 at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine helped Ruggs become the first wide receiver selected in the NFL Draft about two months later. The Las Vegas Raiders chose Ruggs with the 12th pick in the 2020 draft. In his rookie season, Ruggs caught 26 passes for 452 yards with two touchdowns and ran nine times for 49 yards. In 2021, Ruggs had 24 receptions for 469 yards and two touchdowns in seven games when his season abruptly ended after he was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death following a fatal traffic accident in Las Vegas. Ruggs still is awaiting a preliminary hearing in his case.

2. J.J. Nelson, Midfield High School, UAB: 4.28 seconds

The wide receiver’s 2015 run is tied for the 10th-fastest at the combine since 2000. The Cardinals drafted Nelson in the fifth round, and he caught 81 passes for 1,439 yards (a 17.8-yard average) and 10 TDs in four seasons with Arizona. Nelson joined Oakland as a free agent in 2019, but hampered by ankle and knee injuries, he played in only two games for the Raiders before being released.

3. Jamel Dean, Auburn: 4.30 seconds

After Dean’s run at the 2019 combine, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted the cornerback in the second round. Dean hardly played with Tampa Bay’s defense in the first half of his rookie season. But after starting five of the final six games, he finished tied for fourth in the NFL with 17 pass breakups. In 2020, Dean started seven regular-season games and four playoff contests, including Tampa Bay’s 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. He’s intercepted two passes in each of the past two seasons as a regular in the Bucs secondary.

4. Velus Jones Jr., Saraland High School: 4.31 seconds

After Jones’ run at the 2022 combine, the Chicago Bears drafted the wide receiver in the third round. During his rookie season, Jones had seven receptions for 107 yards and one touchdown, nine rushing attempts for 103 yards and one touchdown, five punt returns for a 7.0-yard average ad 22 kickoff returns for a 27.6-yard average.

5. Tim Carter, Auburn: 4.32 seconds

After Carter’s run at the 2002 combine, the New York Giants drafted the wide receiver in the second round. He played in seven NFL seasons with 81 receptions for 1,090 yards and four touchdowns.

5. Chad Jackson, Hoover High School: 4.32 seconds

After Jackson’s run at the 2006 combine, the New England Patriots drafted the Florida wide receiver in the second round. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the AFC championship game during his rookie season and played in only six more NFL games.

7. Jonathan Jones, Auburn: 4.33 seconds

After Jones’ run at the 2016 combine, the cornerback went undrafted. He caught on with the New England Patriots as a contributor on special teams. Until 2021, when a shoulder injury limited Jones to six games, each successive season had featured more defensive snaps and fewer special-teams plays. His biggest contributions on defense have come as a nickel back, but he’s also played safety, including in Super Bowl LIII, when he was New England’s leading tackler in its 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams to cap the 2018 season and earn his second championship ring. In 2022, Jones moved to outside corner, had a career-high four interceptions and returned one of them for his first NFL touchdown.

8. T.J. Green, Sylacauga High School: 4.34 seconds

After Green’s run at the 2016 combine, the Indianapolis Colts drafted the Clemson safety in the second round. He made four starts as a rookie and seven in 2017. In 2018, Green was released with an injury settlement by Indianapolis at the end of the preseason, and he was on five teams and played in 10 games in the 2019 through 2021 seasons.

8. Julio Jones, Foley High School, Alabama: 4.34 seconds

After Jones’ run with a broken bone in his foot at the 2011 combine, the Atlanta Falcons traded five draft picks to the Cleveland Browns for the No. 6 choice to select the wide receiver. He’s gone on to be an All-Pro twice and a Pro Bowler seven times. Jones has caught 903 passes for 13,629 yards and 63 touchdowns. He has more receptions and receiving yards than any player in Atlanta history. Only Jerry Rice had more receiving yards through his first 10 seasons than Jones, but each of his past three seasons has come with a different team and all have been affected by injury.

8. Onterio McCalebb, Auburn: 4.34 seconds

After McCalebb’s run at the 2013 combine, the running back went undrafted. He had weighed at 168 pounds in Indianapolis. The Cincinnati Bengals picked him up with the intention of converting him to cornerback. In two seasons, McCalebb played in one game before Cincinnati tried him at wide receiver in 2015. He was released before that season started.

8. Ben Tate, Auburn: 4.34 seconds

After Tate’s run at the 2010 combine, the Houston Texans drafted the running back in the second round. He suffered a broken ankle in his first preseason appearance and missed the 2010 season. Tate returned to spend three seasons as Arian Foster’s backup, and injuries to Foster gave him the opportunity to run for 942 yards in 2011 and 771 yards in 2013. After becoming a free agent, he played for the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers and rushed for 390 yards in 2014, his final season.

What about Bo Jackson’s 4.12?

The combine concept started in 1982 and became a league-wide event in 1985. About two-fifths of the annual gatherings could be classified as prehistoric because of the lack of information compared to today’s categorized and accessible statistics that come out of Indianapolis. During the NFL Scouting Combine in 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Auburn All-American running back Bo Jackson recorded a 4.12-second 40. Or that’s what’s been reported. The former McAdory High School star has said it didn’t happen, although he’s said he ran a 4.13-second 40 for NFL personnel at Auburn on his way to track practice.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.