Anthony Averett began to tighten up halfway through the 40-yard sprint, slowing down as he finished the run instead of pushing like he normally would.

Still, Averett ran a 4.45 40.

It was further proof of the New Jersey native's speed.

There aren't many players that can run a 4.45 40 healthy. Alabama's redshirt cornerback posted that time while dealing with pain from a mild sports hernia that's bothered him since the second game of last season.

It ranked as the sixth-best time on the team during the Crimson Tide's spring testing.

"The trainers or coaches that were there with him, he said they were even saying to him, 'How did you run that time with your injury? That's crazy,'" Averett's mother, Carmen Davis, said.

Averett played through that injury last year, emerging as one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC despite regular pain in his abdomen and groin.

It's why Averett should be even better this season.

Averett will undergo a minor procedure in late April after Alabama finishes spring practice and is expected to be back to 100 percent long before the Tide begins fall camp in August.

"He feels like the sky is the limit this year because he was able to do what he did last year even with this restricting him from reaching his full potential and from his full ability with his speed," Davis said. "He's ready to rock and roll. And he just feels like he'll be able to stick receivers and do what he needs to do even better than he did last year."

Alabama has a lot of fast players. The 6-foot, 185-pound Averett is arguably the fastest when healthy.

Averett posted the fastest 40 time on the team during the spring of 2015, a 4.30. He then ran a 4.34 last year, tied for the fastest time on the team.

A former member of the Tide's track & field team, Averett was a New Jersey state champion in several events, including the long jump and 100-meter dash.

As a high school junior, Averett recorded the top long jump in the nation among high school athletes (25 feet, two inches).

The speed and athleticism carry over to football.

In his first year as a contributor on defense, Averett started every game last season, made 38 tackles and had a team-high eight pass breakups.

CBS Sports ranks Averett as the third-best NFL prospect among rising senior cornerbacks.

Former Alabama wide receiver ArDarius Stewart compared Averett to another ex-track standout, someone who won the Jim Thorpe Award at USC last year and is now considered one of the top cornerbacks in this year's NFL draft.

"He's an Adoree' Jackson type," Stewart said of Averett. "... He has a lot of speed. He's very talented and he's very smart, and he's not afraid to come up and make tackles."

The recent 40 run was one of the latest reminders of Averett's speed and athleticism, impressive enough that fellow defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick brought it up while discussing Averett last week.

"Hurt, he actually ran a (4.4) 40," Fitzpatrick said. "He's a great athlete and a great competitor."