Manti Te’o ran a 4.71 40-yard dash, giving him a slight improvement over his NFL combine time, according to ESPN.
Te’o was timed by ESPN analyst Todd McShay at Notre Dame University’s pro day on Tuesday. Te’o ran his first dash at 4.75 and clocked 4.71 in his second run. This is a approximately a tenth of a second faster than in 4.82 second run at the combine. Football fans will have to go with these unofficial numbers since official times from the pro day will not be made public.
Te’o was optimistic after with his efforts which were on display at Notre Dame.
"I felt good. I'm at home now," he told reporters. "I was very pleased with how I performed.
“This is possibly the best day ever. It's a big, big burden off your shoulders," he said. "It feels like it's your birthday. I'm very glad that it's over."
With Tuesday’s performance Bill Polian, an ESPN analyst who was also a general manager president of three NFL teams, believes Te’o is now “in the mix” for a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
McShay and Mel Kiper Jr., the top two NFL Draft analysts for ESPN, also expect Te’O to go in the first round. McShay projects Te’o to be selected with the 32nd pick, making him the last to be taken in the first round. McShay has the former Notre Dame linebacker going with the 19th pick.
Te’o might have been projected higher in the draft, if not for his scandal with a fake girlfriend in the past several months.
Despite his public mishaps he still holds that his identity lies in his efforts on the field.
"I'm a football player, I made mistakes, but nothing that affected my play on the football field," he said.
The NFL Draft will take place April 25 in New York. Te’o has been invited to attend the event twice but has declined on both occasions.
