They didn’t believe him when he said he could, but Katt Williams proved them all wrong — if the latest viral video is to be believed.
During his appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast in January, the “Dark Matters” comedian claimed he could complete a 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, but no one thought that could be true.
“I’m almost 100 years old right now, but if we go outside right now, I can run a 4.3 40. Or a sub, I can do a 4.16 if I’m in shorts,” Williams said during his Jan. 3 appearance on Club Shay Shay.
It was an idea Sharpe couldn’t fathom at the time.
Williams made an attempt to shut up the naysayers shortly after the interview went viral.
He took to Instagram and shared a video of himself seemingly running 4.47 inside the University of Memphis’ basketball gym. All Def Comedy labeled Williams the “Fastest Comedian Alive,” but while his run was impressive, many still believed he was lying.
“A basketball court is 30 yards. I love Katt, but this translates to like a 5.5 40-yard dash,” one comment read.
“A lot of people ain’t running at all at age 52. Do yo thing Katt,” another person wrote.
On Friday, March 8, Williams finally silenced the more credulous skeptics by showcasing his speed. A video recorded by Jared Verse, a defensive lineman for Florida State University, captured Williams at Sports Academy at the Star in Frisco, Texas, supposedly completing the dash in a hand-timed 4.97 seconds, demonstrating his impressive athletic prowess.
The clip has since gone viral.
After seeing the clip, former San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawn Merriman tweeted the video, “The fact that Katt Williams didn’t pull anything at this age is impressive alone.”
The eight-second clip Merriman shared appears to show Williams hitting the finish line well after the 6 seconds after had elapsed, so it is unclear how it was determined he ran the distance in under 5 seconds.
The fact that Katt Williams didn’t pull anything at this age is impressive alone pic.twitter.com/dKAdmIw503
— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) March 8, 2024
Many on social media are now eating their words.
“Katt Williams is 52 years old, running a 4.9. It’s likely that he did run a 4.3 when he was younger,” one person tweeted.
4.9 for anyone is very fast.
— David Gerbrock (@gerbrocker) March 8, 2024
One X user wrote, “A 4.9 without any form of consistent training and at his age is the equivalent to a person running a 4.3 at NFL Pro Day.”
To which one person replied. “No yea like for his age and size 4.9 is genuinely impressive.”
No yea like for his age and size 4.9 is genuinely impressive
— donnie darko (@blackmusacluvr) March 8, 2024
Not only would it be impressive, but it would be competitive if the timing were accurate.
To put it in perspective, in 2016, as a 22-year-old, Dak Prescott, the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, completed the 40-yard dash in 4.79 seconds, WFAA reports.
At the 2024 NFL combine held in Indianapolis just over a week ago, 21 defensive linemen participated in the 40-yard dash. Among them, Williams’ time of 4.97 would be ranked as tied for the eighth-fastest time, according to Profootballnetwork.com.
