Speed Becoming Texas A&M's Newest Tradition

SEC speed isn’t just some mythical advantage that 14 universities carry. Each year in college football, it’s talked about how fast the Southeastern Conference schools are on the gridiron, and the track is no different. 

One school among the rest in the SEC separates itself not only from traditions, but separating itself when it comes to being fast.

Devon Achane and Fred Kerley. 

What do these two have in common? 

Speed and Texas A&M. 

Achane boasts an all-conditions personal best 10.02 in the 100m dash. In the spring of 2022, the speedster was the only dual-sport athlete to qualify for the NCAA Track & Field Championships in a track event. The three-time track & field All-American ranks as the third-fastest Aggie in the indoor 60m (6.63) and the fourth-fastest in the outdoor 200m (20.20), while his 100m time is the fastest all-conditions mark in program history. On the gridiron, the Missouri City, Texas, product compares to the fastest NFL baller in Tyreek Hill who posted career-best times of 6.61 in the 60m, an all-conditions best 9.98 in the 100m and 20.14 in the 200m, leaving no doubt Achane is the fastest college football player this season. 

Last fall Brad Nessler of CBS described to a national viewing audience “Achane’s got an opening, he’s got world class speed. He gone.” as the speedster electrified fans on an October night returning a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown against No. 1 Alabama. The world-class sprinter finished the 2021 season averaging 33.4 yards per kick-off return and was second on the team in rushing with 910 yards and was second nationally (min. 100 attempts) with an average of 7.0 yards per carry.

Kerley is not only the fastest man in America but owns the title “World's Fastest Man”. He won that title after claiming the 2022 World Athletics 100m championship at 9.86. From track enthusiasts to the common sports fan, everyone was on notice even NBA legend Earvin Magic Johnson took time to recognize the accomplishment. “I want to congratulate the fastest man on the planet Fred Kerley!! He won the men’s 100m dash at the World Athletics Championships.”. 

Prior to the world championships, Kerley won the USA Track & Field 100m championship at 9.77 after clocking a 9.76, the fastest time ever registered on U.S. soil, in the semifinals. 

In the summer of 2022, there is no doubt that the speedster has made his argument as the fastest man in the world, but one might even argue that he’s the most versatile sprinter of all time. In 2021, the Taylor, Texas, product shook the track & field world by dropping from the 400m to the 100m in preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games. He proved doubters wrong by winning an Olympic silver medal in the 100m at 9.84.

Most notably, Kerley is one of three men, along with South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk and American Michael Norman, in world history to run a sub-10 second in the 100m (9.76), sub-20 second in the 200m (19.76) and sub-44 second in the 400m (43.64) in their career. 

The next time you think of the SEC as the fastest or Texas as the state with the fastest athletes, one should consider Texas A&M as the fastest in both.