Leavitt vs. students: Coach to run 40-yard dash
Bulls football coach Jim Leavitt, leaving his office Thursday afternoon for a few laps around USF's track, confirmed that he will run the 40-yard dash with a stopwatch on him as part of a promotion to be shown at USF's spring game on April 11 at Raymond James Stadium.
"I hope I can break 6 (seconds)," said Leavitt, 52, who likes to sprint out of the tunnel before games and routinely runs with players during and after practices. "If I can do 5.9, I'll be happy. Beating me in the 40 is not very hard to do."
Students will have the chance to perform in a "mini-combine" at the spring game -- the fastest time in the 40-yard dash will earn two free tickets to USF's game at Florida State in September, as well as a T-shirt if they're able to beat Leavitt's 40 time -- video of Leavitt's run will be shown on the video screens at Raymond James. Preliminary events for students will be held this weekend, with finalists competing in the 40, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drills. Click here for more information.
"Usually I'm in better shape than this spring, but I haven't done as much," Leavitt said. "I move around at practice pretty good, but that's something I've always done."
Leavitt played defensive back at Missouri, albeit three decades ago, and said in his prime, he could run the 40. "I'd get under 4.7 when I was in college," he said. "I'd get in the high 4.6s. I was not very fast."
USF has several new promotions surrounding the spring game, with fans competing for the right to call their own play with new offensive coordinator Mike Canales, as well as being one of four guest sideline reporters during the game.
"In this economic climate, we know we have to do whatever we can do to help generate as much interest as we can," Leavitt said.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/usf/2009/04/leavitt-vs-students-coach-will-run-40yard-dash.html 
