On the 29th June, in Sunrise, FL, 16 current & former NFL athletes competed to see who was the fastest. It stemmed from Ted Ginn‘s offer of $10,000 to any player who could beat him over 40 yards. Chad Ochocinco ran with the idea to create 40 yards of gold, a $1 million dollar PPV tournament that Ginn didn’t even show up to. Ultimately, it was San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin who took home the crown, beating out Donte Jackson in the final by 0.05 seconds.
Marquise Goodwin Sprints to 40 Yards of Gold Victory
Participants
The tournament was rife with no shows and late replacements. As mentioned earlier, Ginn did not show, nor did Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. However, among some of the big names on offense who actually competed were:
- Alvin Kamara
- Robby Anderson
- Marquise Goodwin
- Damiere Byrd
- Jeff Badet
- Jacoby Ford
Whereas, team defense’s main stars were names such as:
- Trae Waynes
- John Franklin III
- Donte Jackson
- Jalen Myrick
- Rashard Robinson
Round One
Goodwin started with a round one match-up versus Kevin Snead. Once dubbed the “fastest man in college,” his NFL career was short, lasting less than one season with the New York Giants. His 40 yards of gold was also short after he false started twice and was disqualified. While elsewhere, late replacement Khalfani Muhammad upset Jacoby Ford in his round one battle. Donte Jackson beat fellow defensive back Trae Waynes & Jalen Myrick showed off his former track star ability in his quick time. While Robby Anderson easily beat Alvin Kamara and John Franklin III also eased through, celebrating through the finish line.
Offense Results
From there on, it was all about Goodwin’s track experience. He didn’t even look tested against known speedster, Damiere Byrd. And he didn’t need to try when he faced a late replacement after Robby Anderson pulled out. Finally, he smoked past another former track runner, Broncos running back Khalfani Muhammed to reach the final.
Marquise Goodwin is in the 40 Yards of Gold final after smoking the Denver Broncos’ Khalfani Muhammad. pic.twitter.com/YtnOUaFAr1
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) June 30, 2019
Defense Results
On the defensive side, it seemed a more open competition. An early favorite was Jalen Myrick who, like Goodwin, has experience on a track. He started well but was beaten by Donte Jackson, who somewhat upset the odds after not being heavily favored even in his round one match vs Trae Waynes. Jackson went on to face former Last Chance U star John Franklin III in the semi-final. It was a tight affair, as Jackson won by 0.01 seconds and on instant replay looked like Franklin might have edged it. Nevertheless, the decision went in Jackson’s favor and we had our final.
Donte Jackson tops John Franklin III by .01 (!) seconds in a 40 Yards of Gold semifinal.
It’s Jackson vs. Marquise Goodwin in a big-name final. pic.twitter.com/yeUBn9GesJ
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) June 30, 2019
Final
After a long interlude, in which spectators were treated to a Rick Ross concert, the final was ready: Marquise Goodwin versus Donte Jackson. As expected, the start was crucial and the track mechanics that Goodwin possessed saw him through easily, winning by 0.05 seconds while already ready to celebrate with a yard to spare. Goodwin was an entertainer all night and has hopes to make the Olympic long jump team again. No doubt NFL teams will just be happy to have their players back with hamstrings still attached.
Marquise Goodwin tops Donte Jackson by .05 seconds to win inaugural 40 Yards of Gold title. Absolutely electric. He wins the $1 million prize. pic.twitter.com/FPJWcGOGAO
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) June 30, 2019
