We knew Dede Westbrook was lightning fast. Now we know just how fast the former OU wide receiver can motor.
The University of Oklahoma athletic department reported on Wednesday that Westbrook was clocked at 4.34 seconds in the 40-yard dash as part of his Pro Day workout at OU for NFL scouts and team personnel. For those who might not be aware, that is a very fast time for a pro prospect over that distance.
The All-Big 12 wide receiver and winner of the Biletnikoff Award this past season as the best receiver in college football decided not to take part in the NFL Scouting Combine, where NFL scouts gather for a week every February to evaluate NFL draft prospects who undergo a series of physical and mental tests.
Westbrook told Joey Helmer of 247Sports that he was pretty banged up after Oklahoma’s Sugar Bowl victory over Auburn in January.
"“I took a week and a half, two weeks off just to get treatment and get back into the groove of things before I started actually training (again),” Westbrook said."
With his Pro Day at Oklahoma coming just a week after the scouting combine, the former Sooner wide receiver said he thought it would be better to pass up the combine in favor of showing what he can do at his scheduled on-campus Pro Day at OU.
As impressive as his 40 time was, Westbrook told Helmer that he believes he can go even faster.
One of five finalists for the 2016 Heisman Trophy along with teammate Baker Mayfield, Westbrook played just two seasons at Oklahoma after transferring from Blinn (Texas) Community College for his junior season. He ranks fourth among OU receivers all-time with 126 career receptions for 2,267 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Westbrook had nine 100-yard receiving games in his two years at Oklahoma. Eight of those 10 100-yard performances came in 2016.
It is a fairly good bet that he will be the first Oklahoma player taken in next month’s NFL Draft, projected to go as high as the second round. That would place the uber-talented OU receiver ahead of Samaje Perine, Joe Mixon and defensive tackle Charles Walker, other Oklahoma NFL hopefuls projected to go in the first four rounds of the upcoming draft.