The first chronicled concussion of Jahvid Best’s NFL career came in a preseason game during his second season with the Detroit Lions. He’d return that season, in 2011, but suffer another concussion in October.
His career was over, though not officially until the summer of 2013, when the Lions choose to release the former first-round draft pick after missing all of the previous season with post-concussion issues.
The former running back at the University of California then transitioned to track and field, eventually earning a spot in these Rio Games representing Saint Lucia, the tiny Caribbean island nation where his father was born.
He didn’t advance through his qualifying heat, finishing .32 seconds behind the leader, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt. Still, Best called his long road from a highly touted NFL runner to Olympic sprinter “a blessing.”
“It’s an experience,” said Best, 27. “It’s the first time I’ve run in front of a crowd of more than 500 people at a track event.
“I’m looking forward to a bright future. Because I know I can master this sport like I did football.”
Best’s speed was never in question. He was a big-play weapon with the Golden Bears, setting the school record for rushing yards in a game (311) and, as a sophomore, posting the second-most yards in a single season in program history (1,580).
While Best had never raced in front of a crowd quite like the one gathered here at Olympic Stadium, his football experience did come in handy: Best likened the atmosphere to the excitement surrounding many of his games in the NFL.
“It’s very similar,” he said. “It’s like a Monday Night Football game or a Super Bowl.”
Contributing: Martin Rogers
