Hester’s race against cheetah airs tonight

TAMPA, Fla. — National Geographic has pitted two of the fastest football players against cheetahs from Busch Gardens in Tampa to see who could cross the finish line first for a documentary.

“Man v. Cheetah” premieres today at 8 p.m. as a kickoff for the network’s “Big Cat Week.”

The Tampa Bay Times reports the one-hour documentary was taped at Busch Gardens’ Cheetah Run exhibit in early May. Two cheetahs, Jenna and Nave, compete against Chris Johnson, a running back for the Tennessee Titans, and Devin Hester, a wide receiver and kick returner for the Chicago Bears.

The network and park created a 220-foot-long course with a 10-foot-tall wall separating man from beast.

The filming was unscripted and done in a single take to avoid stress on the cheetahs — and humans.