Baylor University's athletic director races robotic tackling dummy but the robot gets the last laugh

It's man versus machine again! Baylor University's Athletic Director of Football Operators took on the team's robotic tackling dummy in a race down the field. Robotic dummies are increasingly used by many college and professional football teams during practice and tackling drills to help reduce the risk of injuries and improve player safety.

In a video posted to Twitter on Friday (4 August) by the Texas-based university's head football coach Matt Rhule, athletic director Sean Padden is seen sprinting down the field in a race against the robotic tackling dummy as his team cheered him on. While Padden easily won the race, the bot suddenly slammed into him at the finish line and knocked him off his feet before he could even turn to check on his opponent.

Padden and his team immediately erupted with laughter at the hilarious encounter.

While the bot's act did not seem to be malicious, Padden joked in a post-race interview that it was "man versus machine."

"I think back to Sarah Connor versus the Terminator, Garry Kasparov versus Big Blue, Ken Jennings versus Watson, John Henry versus that steam engine," Padden said in the interview.

"And I did it for humanity. And if anybody — that's a warning out there, because the machines aren't gonna fight fair, and we better be ready."

The hysterical video has already gone viral with many deeming it "the greatest thing ever."

Sports reporter and anchor Maria Martin tweeted: "Scariest dummy I've ever seen. That thing can fly."

"I'm throwing a flag on that tackling dummy for the late hit," one social media user joked.

"This wins the internet," one Twitter user wrote while another tweeted: "Does not get any better than this."