Speed was needed to set a new Guinness World Record on Thursday morning.

Jason Verrett tried.

He was too fast.

On National High Five Day, the Chargers cornerback attempted to break the world record for most high fives in one minute. Three hundred people lined up at Qualcomm Stadium, as Verrett reached all 300 in 40 seconds, a Chargers official said. Early indications are he went too fast for the mark to be recorded on video, however, and after a second failed attempt, a Kaiser Permanente employee broke the mark with 290 hand slaps.


The old record was 277.

Verrett is coming off his first Pro Bowl season. Athleticism is among his strong suits; he’s no slower today than when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine.

Chris Lee, the Chargers’ senior manager of corporate partnerships, said that a golf cart with a video camera aboard followed Verrett whiled he sprinted. Video footage was necessary to authenticate any record Verrett set, but the camera was unable to catch him on his first attempt. Verrett was slowed down for a second try, Lee said, but he was slowed down too much to break the record.

Verrett then had to report to Chargers Park for spring workouts.


So, Dave Horton, a medical group administrator at Kaiser Permanente, successfully gave it a go.

“It’s quite a process to set a world record,” Lee said. “I think Jason blew it out of the water on the first attempt, but he was so fast he outran the golf cart with the camera in it. (Guinness) has to physically look at each high five to make sure they’re legitimate: 45 degree angle, hand over head. ... We just need a drone (next time). I was the one driving the cart, so you can blame me. I literally had to floor it, and I still couldn’t keep up with him.”

The event aligned with the upcoming Kaiser Permanente Bolt to the Q.

That race, which features a 5K, 10K and Kids Fun Run, will be held July 24. Verrett will serve as race ambassador, delivering high fives to finishers. The’ goal is to have 4,000 participants, Lee said.


Verrett wore a Go-Pro camera on his record attempts Thursday. The footage is in the process of being reviewed to determine if his first attempt will qualify for the record, Lee said. A Guinness World Records adjudicator was on-site for all three attempts and presented Kaiser Permanente with a certificate, recognizing Horton’s total.