The best way to measure a good 200-meter dash for a football player is to break it down by position. And you have to remember that football has come a long ways from the days where "three yards and cloud of dust" defined the game. That was a reference to the running back tucking the ball away and pushing behind the offensive line for three yards at a time. Football is more about speed these days, and the stopwatch has become a key component of the game.
Skill Players
These are the guys that should have the best times in the 200-meter dash because they are the ones typically running with the football. Skill players include the quarterback, running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs. So what's a good time? You could say 20.28, which former NFL wide receiver/kick returner Michael Bates ran in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, but let's be more realistic. A 200 meter dash time under 25 seconds is very good, especially for a young football player still developing speed.
Linebackers/Tight Ends
These football players are usually bigger than the skill guys, and additional size usually leads to diminished speed. But that doesn't mean all linebackers and tight ends are slow-footed. Outside linebackers need to be big enough to fend off blocks but quick enough to get to the quarterback. The University of North Carolina's Zach Brown is 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, but the linebacker won the 200-meter dash in high school with a time of 21.52. That is off the charts for a linebacker or tight end, but it is something to shoot for.
Linemen
These are the guys in the trenches, and they probably don't run much more than 200 meters over the full course of a game. Offensive and defensive linemen rely more on first-step quickness, brawn and power, but they run 200 meters for training. In certain instances, linemen run competitively in the 200 meter dash. Defensive tackle Christian Ballard, selected by the Minnesota Vikings on the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft, qualified for the state track meet in high school with a blistering time of 22.97 in the 200 meter dash. For most offensive and defensive linemen, a time in the neighborhood of 30 seconds in the 200, that is quite good.
It Takes Work
If you want to post a good time in the 200 meter dash, no matter what football position you play, practice is the key. Unlike the more popular 40-year dash, a football standard, the 200 requires much more than a quick burst of speed. Getting your time down in the 200-meter dash requires training. It also requires an important piece of knowledge: according to Athletes Acceleration: the 200 meter dash is not a great distance, but a bit of pacing is needed instead of an all-out sprint.
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