Toronto Argonauts’ receiver Chandler Worthy has lots of confidence in his speed.
Worthy flashed his top end gear while running by Montreal Alouettes defensive back Tyquwan Glass for a 45-yard touchdown in the closing seconds of the first half in the Argos 30-27 win during Week 8. He was asked post-game if anybody in the league could beat him in a 40-yard race.
“Nobody in the CFL — nobody,” Worthy said definitively.
At his Troy University pro day in 2015, Worthy ran in the 4.30 seconds range multiple times, but the five-foot-eight, 177-pound pass catcher stated he’s even faster now. According to the Griffin, GA native, the quickest 40-yard time he’s recorded is 4.26 seconds.
2019 Most Outstanding Player Brandon Banks has been regarded by many as the fastest player in the league for years. Speedy B put down a 40-yard time of 4.33 seconds at the 2010 NFL Combine. He’s been running by opponents for lots of seasons as an all-star returner and receiver.
The league’s current leader in receiving yards, Lucky Whitehead has been clocked in the 4.20 seconds range running 40 yards. The B.C. Lions have featured him in the offence more prominently compared to when he was with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and unlocked his game-changing speed.
Worthy doesn’t have the football resumes of Banks and Whitehead, but that doesn’t affect the belief in his abilities as a burner. The 28-year-old is willing to race those two men and anybody else in the league who wants to toe the start line and sprint 40 yards.
“If they have the money and they’re willing to put their pride on the line, then I’m ready whenever they are,” Worthy said.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson was the quarterback throwing the ball to Worthy during his best game of the 2021 season, four receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown versus the Als. Bethel-Thompson has to gauge his running pace in order to put the football in the proper place for his target.
“No one can guard that man. I feel like I’m not an expert in this realm, being not a fast person myself, but it would be fun to watch,” Bethel-Thompson said.
“My money is on Chandler all day, in any form or venue. Sign me up, I’m putting my money on Chandler. Facts, facts, facts — absolutely.”
Staging a race for the fastest player in the CFL would be a fun one by the Lakeshore.
