Fabian Washington had an answer Tuesday for those who questioned his decision to skip his senior season at Nebraska to enter the NFL Draft.

His reply was a blazing 40-yard dash on the final day of the National Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, a key part of the draft process.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Washington said he was told by an NFL official that he was clocked  in a hand-held 4.25 seconds, while Gil Brandt of NFL.com reported Washington's time to be :04.31.

Anything in that range is considered outstanding.

Todd McShay, of Scouts Inc. and ESPN, who was on hand for the workouts, said Washington ran his :04.25 on the first of three tries.

"I knew I was capable," Washington said. "It was a matter of getting off to a good start. That's the key to every 40."

Washington, a native of Bradenton, Fla., also bench-pressed 225 pounds 19 times and recorded a 41 1/2-inch vertical leap in a workout that no doubt improved his draft status.

"He opened a lot of eyes," said Brian Mackler, Washington's agent. "Fabian was the buzz of the combine."

Four other former Huskers tested for NFL personnel in Indianapolis during the past few days — linebacker Barrett Ruud, safety Josh Bullocks, defensive end Benard Thomas and center Richie Incognito.

Bullocks ran a sub-:04.50, according to Brandt.

Washington, though, arguably made the most significant impression.Of the 50 defensive backs who ran the 40-yard dash on Tuesday, Brandt said, only seven ran times of :04.34 and under. The others were Darrent Williams of Oklahoma State (:04.31), Chris McKenzie of Arizona State (:04.31), Carlos Rogers of Auburn (:04.31), Stanford Routt of Houston (:04.34), Stanley Wilson of Stanford (:04.34) and Domonique Foxworth of Maryland (:04.34).

"I'm very confident things will work out for me," said Washington, who announced his decision to declare for the draft on Jan. 2.

For the past two months, Washington trained at The Sportstars/Parisi Combine training center in Fairlawn, N.J.

"Instead of staying in warm Florida, he gave us eight weeks of training, six days a week, eight hours a day," Mackler said. "You see the results."

Washington said he skipped his senior season because his family "is not in the best situation financially," and an NFL career could help that plight.

Meanwhile, Ruud, a Lincoln Southeast graduate, also enjoyed "a very good combine," said his father Tom Ruud. The younger Ruud, the Huskers' all-time tackles leader, has been projected as a first-round choice by some analysts.

The 6-2, 240-pound Ruud bench-pressed 225 pounds 25 times, which put him in the upper echelon of linebackers, and finished second among inside linebackers in the short shuttle run, Tom Ruud said.

Barrett Ruud ran the 40 in :04.65.

"He's run faster and knows he can run faster," Tom Ruud said. "He just didn't finish it the way he knows he should."

Ruud, Washington and other former Huskers will work out for NFL personnel on March 9 in Lincoln.

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.

Ken Hambleton contributed to this article.