Jim Leavitt's a man of his word. So when the South Florida coach says he's going to run the 40, he's going to run the 40, and put in a respectable effort, too:

Leavitt is a former athlete (he was All-Big 8 at Missouri in football and baseball in the late seventies), but at 52, a 5.72 is nothing to sneeze at. His choice of venue is disappointing -- the practice field instead of the actual spring game in Raymond James Stadium, with thousands watching on the JumboTron, waiting in giddy horror for a deafening ACL snap? -- but the time is nothing to sneeze at. The Doc is gearing up to be timed his own self next week, and Leavitt sets an intimidating standard. Adjusted for age, I stand no chance.

But maybe I'm underestimating my chances: 21 of the 22 USF students who ran in preliminaries last week beat Leavitt's time, and will receive a "Faster Than Coach Leavitt" t-shirt for their efforts. I'll settle for "Faster Than Rich Eisen," but the sky's the limit.

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Hat tip: Brian Bennett's ESPN Big East blog.