NFL rookie of the year Ja'Marr Chase is shaping up to be the fastest player in history. Here's how he got to Super Bowl level in his first year.

Chase reached a top speed of 21.66 mph on a 57-yard catch during the Bengals' AFC Championship win against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to NextGenStats. It was the fastest speed reached by any player in a playoffs game since play speed began being recorded in 2016. 

Chase also had more catches on the perimeter of the field, which require out-running opposing defenders in wide open spaces, than any rookie since the statistic began being recorded, according to Next Gen Stats.

Chase was one of many college football players that opted out of the 2020 football season due to COVID-19 concerns. But he used that time off to get his body in the best possible shape for the NFL by following a six-month all-day workout routine with sports training agency Exos. 

Chase's Exos trainer Brent Callaway told Insider that he watched Chase's speed increase during the course of the six months, along with his strength and flexibility. 

Chase's historic speed as a rookie might be a byproduct of his 2020 training session. It wasn't a move that just any player could make, Callaway said, but Chase had already been a top college player for multiple years and had unique athleticism for the NFL.

Despite weighing only 200 lbs, Chase has brought a surprising pop to opposing defenders, which allows him to break through tackles and extend plays. 

NFL scouts praised Chase's physical aggression and his ability to run through opposing defenders during his draft process in 2021. Chase had eight broken tackles this year, which ranked at the top among rookie wide receivers, according to Pro Football Reference.

If the Bengals win the Super Bowl, then Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow will become the first quarterback and wide receiver to win a Super Bowl together just two yeas after winning a College Football National Championship together. 

Chase and Burrow combined to lead the highest-scoring offense in college football history for Louisianna State University in 2019, on their way to the championship. 

For Burrow, that chemistry and relationship was so important that he reportedly pressed the Bengals, who drafted him with the first overall pick in 2020, to draft his former college teammate, according to Sports Illustrated.

For Chase, that meant playing with the same quarterback he played with throughout his entire college career, and the chemistry from their record-breaking season in 2019 carried over into a record-breaking season for Chase. 

Ochocinco first met Chase after the Bengals' playoff game against the Las Vegas Raiders in January, but quickly noticed a unique trait that he says is uncommon among wide receivers, including himself. 

Chase, no matter how fast is running from defenders or no matter the situation in a game, looks like he's putting in little effort and is completely calm, Ochocinco said.

"When you look at other guys that are fast, it just looks like they're trying. With Ja'Marr, it doesn't look like he's trying," Ochocinco said. "There's a sense of calmness even though he's playing at full speed."