But then came the 40-yard dash. Feldman wrote:

Pruett: Then they (the NFL scouts) said, “Let’s run the 40.” They wanted him to run the 40 into the wind. He really hadn’t loosened up, but he gets down there and runs 4.25. Into the wind. They said, “This can’t be right. Run that again.” He runs 4.25 again.

[John] Garrett (former Bengals WR coach): It was like gliding. There was a lot of wind. Like, gale force wind. He was flying with the wind.

Gunter Brewer, former Marshall wide receivers coach: It was before all the laser stuff and electronics, so you’ve got this group of grown-ass men all lined up strategically where the 40 ends, and he comes rolling through there. Everybody clicks. They all look at their watch. The Cowboys guy looks at the Eagles guy, like, I’m not sure I got this right. What’d you get? Well, what’d you get? They each look at each other — holy s—!

[Former Marshall RB Doug] Chapman: He actually ran a 4.2 with swirling winds and no warm-up while wearing a full sweatsuit.

Moss continued to impress on additional drills, including the 20-yard shuttle, and ran go routes to catch passes from QB Eric Kresser, who played in two games with the Bengals in 1998.

Garrett remembered hanging back after the workout to learn more about Moss beyond the athletic prowess.

Garrett: There are a lot of talented players, but they don’t have the right makeup. [People] get seduced by talent. So after we did the measurements and were setting up the 40, I hung back. I know the coaches are gonna tell me all good things, but I wanted to talk to the people who serve around there. I talked to the equipment guy or the maintenance guy. I asked, “How’s Randy?” He goes, “He’s awesome. He helps me pick up all the tape and stuff that everybody just throws on the ground and puts it in the trash.” That proved to me, with all the distractions, that he has a good heart.

Following the on-field drills, Ditka and then-Bears Head Coach Dave Wannstedt visited Pruett in his office to inquire more about Moss.

Pruett: … I said, “I don’t want to be a smartass, but if you have a chance to draft Randy, and you don’t, you’ll both get fired. No matter who you pick, they can’t make the difference in your team that he makes. However fast you think he is, he’s faster. However high you think he can jump, he can jump higher.

“The only time you’ll ever get any lip from him on a game day is if you’re behind and you’re not throwing him the ball.”