The 2024 NFL Scouting combine is here, and not only does it mean that the next generation of NFL stars are showing off their skills in on-field drills, they are also getting to meet the vast NFL media for the first time.
That has led to some very notable quotes and interactions out of Indianapolis over the last few days, with everything from old college teammates joking around to answers about whether outer space and birds are real — and what one top wide receiver prospect would do if a plane was going down.
[Related: 2024 NFL Combine top performers tracker]
As the combine heads into its home stretch and the NFL Draft season gets underway in earnest, here are some of the most buzz-worthy moments coming out of the combine.
Worthy breaks the 40-yard dash record
Texas Longhorns receiver Xavier Worthy’s record-breaking 4.21 40-yard dash time caused quite a buzz at the combine.
Social media also reacted to Worthy’s record-breaking run.
Most famous hair in America?
Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman showed off his flow during the 40-yard dash, which, by some accounts, is arguably the most famous hair in America.
Jerry Rice showing his support
Legendary NFL receiver Jerry Rice was in attendance in Indianapolis to watch his son, USC receiver Brenden Rice, compete in the combine.
Kevin O’Connell doesn’t believe Tom Brady’s 40-yard dash time
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell hilariously questioned the legitimacy of Tom Brady’s viral 40-yard dash video, in which the 46-year-old improved his time from the 2000 combine.
Terrion Arnold’s sweet message to mom
It was hard not to like the star Alabama cornerback based on both his performance in Friday’s combine drills and this incredible message to his mother in an interview during those drills.
Kool-Aid meets Kool-Aid
Arnold’s former Alabama teammate and fellow defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry also had a fun interview in which he, well, lived up to his name.
[Related: Former Alabama football players thank retired coach Nick Saban for helping them reach NFL combine]
J.J. McCarthy names three wide receivers he would want to throw too, including a surprise
Of course Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy likes the idea of throwing to some of the best wide receivers in the NFL, like Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams — and former Ohio State standout Jaxon Smith-Njigba?! McCarthy said he was wowed by watching the current Seahawks pass-catcher in person during rivalry games against the Buckeyes, and said he’s allowed to shout out an Ohio State star after being 3-0 against Michigan’s archrivals.
McCarthy also said part of the reason he entered the NFL Draft after winning a national championship at Michigan was based on the advice of his college coach Jim Harbaugh, who now leads the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jayden Daniels still loves his former coach — the Raiders‘ Antonio Pierce
Daniels and Pierce formed a close bond when the two were together at Arizona State. Could that bond lead to Daniels becoming Las Vegas’s next quarterback?
Unlike fellow top quarterback prospect Caleb Williams, Daniels also said he does not care much where he is picked in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Rome Odunze has great ball skills, but not great piloting skills
Odunze believes he is the best wide receiver in a loaded 2024 NFL Draft class at the position. But he kept it real when asked if he could land a plane in an emergency.
Caleb Williams, sports journalist
Shortly after Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and heavy favorite to be the top overall pick in next year’s draft, finished speaking to the media, he joined them to ask some hard-hitting questions to his former USC Trojans teammate and good friend, wide receiver Brenden Rice.
Birds may not be real, but Tip Reiman’s strength is
Before dominating the sled-pushing drill during workouts, the Illinois tight end revealed that he subscribes to the “Birds Aren’t Real” satirical conspiracy theory movement.
But what about outer space?
Texas Tech standout wide receiver Tyler Owens wants to become an NFL star — but apparently does not believe in actual stars.
Brandon Beane talks trading up for quarterbacks
Beane may have had less to lose in his bold 2018 trade up in the draft for Josh Allen — a move which paid off handsomely — than it may have seemed, given how pivotal that time was for the general manager’s future with the Buffalo Bills.
Stay tuned for updates!
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