Adidas Promised $100,000 To The Athlete With The Fastest 40 Time At The Combine, But They’re Not Paying Up

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Prior to the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine Adidas (pronounced ‘AH-DEE-DAS‘) announced they would be offering up a $100,000 prize to the three fastest athletes in the 40-yard dash, if those athletes agreed beforehand to sign with Adidas and endorse their shoes.

Well, UAB wide-receiver JJ Nelson went to the Adidas tent before running his 40, chose his favorite Adidas shoes, signed a waiver, and then went on to run the fastest overall 40 time. Only Adidas isn’t paying up, claiming that JJ Nelson didn’t sign with Adidas beforehand (even though he thought he did).

ESPN reports:

Former UAB receiver JJ Nelson, who ran the fastest overall time at the NFL combine, is confused why he doesn’t have $100,000 in his pocket.

Adidas said it would pay the top three fastest players who ran the 40-yard dash in its shoes and signed a contract to endorse the brand before they ran $100,000.

When Nelson went to the player suite where he had a choice to run in the latest models form Nike, Under Armour and Adidas, he said he chose Adidas not only because the shoes were comfortable but because he was aware of the $100,000 prize.

“I wasn’t completely focused on it at the time,” Nelson told ESPN.com. “I was obviously focused on getting a good time first.”

An Adidas news release said that the offer was “open to the athletes who sign with adidas prior to running their official 40 yard dashes later this month,” but Nelson said he wasn’t ever given a chance to sign with the brand.

“I signed some waiver at some point, but I was never given a chance to sign an endorsement deal,” Nelson said.

So they didn’t even give the man a chance to sign? And now they’re not paying up? Adidas has ungodly sums of money at their disposal, surely they’ll find a way to make good on this….

[TotalFratMove via ESPN]