I'm really glad you posted that link. Let's examine it in a little more detail for a moment.
To start, how many football players graduate and/or leave early for the NFL each year? Thousands?
Out of those thousands, how many ran a true 4.40 or better, in a highly monitored and accurate environment?
Ten.
And these are all young men who are all between the ages of 21-25.
They have all had the benefit of 3-5 years' worth of high-level speed and fitness training from individuals who get paid six or seven figures annually to do so.
How many of those 10 are QBs? Zero.
How many of those 10 are white? Zero.
How many of those 10 come from Minnesota? Zero.
How many of those 10 come from a state within 3 states of Minnesota? Zero.
How many of those 10 are 6'3" or taller? One - Julio Jones. You know, the top 10 overall draft pick who played in the best amateur football conference on Earth and a guy who is getting paid millions of dollars to ply his trade?
How many of those 10 are 216 lbs. or heavier? Two - the aforementioned Julio Jones and Mario Fannin, who also played in the SEC, except for the best amateur football team on Earth in the 2010-11 season.
So, yes, it's totally plausible that Philip Nelson runs a 4.40 40.
Can't we just say that he's fast for a big, tall QB and leave it at that? Why do people have to assign such ridiculous hyperbole to everything?