INDIANAPOLIS — Calijah Kancey is delivering on his promises.
Pitt’s 2022 unanimous All-American defensive tackle, Kancey promised at the podium of the NFL scouting combine in the Indianapolis Convention Center that he would “surprise everyone” with his time in the 40-yard dash event.
A day later at Lucas Oil Stadium, he did just that.
Kancey ran an official time of 4.67 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine Thursday. That time not only led all of the defensive tackles who ran this year, but it set the record for the fastest time posted by a defensive tackle prospect since the stat was officially tracked, dating back to 2000.
The former Panthers star from Miami was officially measured at the combine to be 6-foot-1, 280 pounds, an inch taller than his official listing at Pitt. That’s the same officially listed height as former Pitt superstar Aaron Donald, who’s a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year award winner.
Kancey’s 4.67 seconds in the 40-yard dash just beat out Donald’s time of 4.68 seconds in the 40-yard dash he posted in 2013. Donald’s time was the record for defensive tackles, according to Pro Football Reference.
Pitt led the country with 44 sacks in 2022, and Kancey led the Panthers with 7 1/2 on the season despite missing the final regular season game and the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl due to a shoulder injury. Kancey revealed Wednesday he had been cleared to participate in the combine three weeks prior to the event but didn’t partake in any of the on-field drills outside of the 40-yard dash.
Kancey informed the Post-Gazette that he plans to participate in the full drills during Pitt’s pro day, which is currently scheduled to take place at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on March 29. That will be the next step in Kancey’s mission to beat the narrative that he’s too small to be a superstar NFL defensive tackle.
