This Former Detroit Lions Star & Olympic Sprinter Is Now A Police Officer

There's a common portrayal that police officers are out-of-shape, donut lovers who would get out-run by a criminal 9 times out of 10. But the San Francisco Police Department has one officer on staff who will never lose a footrace because he is one of the fastest people on the planet.

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Former Detroit Lions first-round pick and Olympic sprinter Jahvid Best had a short NFL career, one that most athletes retire from and live off their career earnings. But that wasn't the path Best chose, as he took a significant career pivot and is now a valued officer with the SFPD.

Jahvid Best's Time In Detroit & Rio

Getting selected in the first round of the NFL Draft is any player's dream. For Jahvid Best, going to the Detroit Lions as the 30th pick was a best case scenario, poised for a long career. He played 16 games in his rookie season (2010), but only 6 in his second season. Why? He'd become the NFL's "poster boy for concussions" after suffering two concussions in three months in 2011, on top of having multiple concussions during his time at the University of California.

READ MORE: Former Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker III Named Super Bowl MVP

After this, no doctor would clear him to play, and he was cut by the Lions. But Best didn't stop running; in fact, he took his physical prowess to the Rio Summer Olympics in 2016, going toe-to-toe with Usain Bolt. While he didn't make it to the semifinals, he did finish 0.32 seconds behind the fastest man alive, which is pretty cool.

Officer Jahvid Best, SFPD

Two years ago, Jahvid Best decided he wanted to partake in a career that was out of the spotlight and instead pursue a role he'd wanted to do since he was a kid: join the police force. Before he was a football star, he stated in a 2006 interview that he always wanted to join law enforcement.

With the latest Super Bowl taking place in San Francisco over the weekend, the San Francisco Police Department Recruitment Instagram page interviewed the former football star and California native for a timely bit of marketing.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DUee2PfjYhm/

He describes the community he has on the force as like the camaraderie he had on his football teams. One thing is for sure: you do not want to run from Officer Best.