Jeff Demps proved he was track fast in London, winning a silver medal in the Olympics.
He finally showed it to professional football fans last night, and gave glimpses of that world class speed.
Demps ran three times for 41 yards, including a 29-yard burst in the Patriots loss to Tampa Bay. He also had a two kickoffs for 44 yards and a 16-yard punt return.
He made a safety miss on his long run, and thought he was going to score.
“I haven’t cut like that in a while, so I thought I was in there,” Demps said, via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “But I’ve still got a long way to go.”
Perhaps, but he did impress his teammates with his raw speed, and ability to catch up quickly.
“He got quite a bit of opportunity,” quarterback Tom Brady said. “Coach put him in a position to make plays out there, both in the return game and at running back. It’s pretty amazing to go what he’s been training for the last six or eight months of his life, and to come in here, put pads on and do the same thing.
“It’s really a credit to his hard work and his mental toughness.”
Of course, he was also called for a false start, which earned him a quick meeting on the sidelines.
“I was just anxious more than anything,” Demps said, “like a little kid in a candy store.”
Like Josh Gordon in Cleveland during the Supplemental Draft, Demps received a disporportionate amount of attention by virtue of being acquired during a slow time for transactions.
But there are at least signs they’ll get some use out of him.