The NFL has witnessed many dual-sport athletes in its history, but only a few have made a noteworthy career in two sports. Well, Deion Sanders is one name that comes to mind, but not many understand the dominance Bob Hayes had in his career as a sprinter turned NFL legend.
Hayes is easily one of the most underrated legends in the Cowboys’ history. But football was just a disguise for his raw talent which was running track. His legacy still stands tall as he remains the only person to ever win a Super Bowl ring and an Olympic gold medal.
The nation was so eager to see him race in the Olympics that the then President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson had to insist his football coach in Florida A&M, to give ‘Bullet Bob’ time to train track.
The Making of Bullet Bob
Bob started his sporting journey as a backup halfback for the Matthew Gilbert High School in Jacksonville. The team was so incredibly dominant that the Gilbert High Panthers went unbeaten (12-0) in 1958, ultimately winning the Florida High School Athletic Association black school state championship.
Hayes’ impressive athletic abilities made him a highly recruited high school talent. He ended up accepting a football scholarship from Florida A&M University.
During his time as a track star in Florida A&M Hayes never lost a 100-yard (91.44m) or a 100-meter race. He tied the world record for a 100-yard dash during his visit to the University of Miami in 1962 after he clocked 9.2 seconds. Furthermore, he became the first person to break the 6s mark in a 60-yard dash by setting a new indoor world record of 5.9 seconds.
A year later he set a new 100-yard dash world record by clocking 9.1 seconds. He also broke the record for 200 meters by recording 20.5 seconds, however, the timing was never made official.
Bearing witness to his absolute dominance on the track, Hayes was selected for the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
He Came, He Saw, He Conquered and He Walked Into the Sunset
At the age of 21, Hayes represented the USA in the Olympics in 100m and 4x100m relay races. His dominance was such that not only did he win two golds but he also set a new world record in both his events.
He recorded 10.06 seconds (WR) in 100 meters which was hand-timed 9.9 seconds. What makes things even more interesting is that he ran on lane 1 which was worn out due to the 20km racewalk that took place the day before.
The low altitude 100m record was not broken until 20 years later when Carl Lewis showed up to the scene. He clocked an official 9.99 seconds to beat Haye’s time by 0.07s.
Hayes’ relay team also produced a gold medal along with a world record time of 39.06 seconds. During the race, Bullet Bob was hand-timed between 8.5 and 8.9 seconds. To put things in perspective, the fastest relay leg ever recorded electronically was Usain Bolt’s 8.65 seconds at the 2015 IAAF World Relays.
The Olympic Champion then walked into the sunset as he shifted his career and became a full-time football player.
Winning a Super Bowl With the Dallas Cowboys
Bob Hayes was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1964 NFL draft as the 88th overall pick and by the Denver Broncos in the 1964 AFL draft as the 105th overall pick. However, the Olympic champion chose to rock the star on his jersey.
After sitting out a year with the Cowboys, Bullet Bob had a tremendous start to his NFL career after he led the league in receiving touchdowns in his first two seasons.
He was a force to reckon with as the Cowboys tamed an ultimate track beast and turned him into a lethal wide receiver. It became so difficult for a single player to cover him, that it gave birth to the zone defense and the bump-and-run tactics.
He was not only an intimidating receiver but also an exceptional punt returner. In 1968 he was the NFL’s leading punt returner with a 20.8 yards per return average and two touchdowns.
Hayes during his time in the league was named a Pro Bowler three times, and two-time First-Team All-Pro. His pair-up with Roger Staubach was so incredible that together they led the Cowboys to three Eastern Conference titles, two NFC titles and played in two Super Bowls while winning one in six seasons.
The Dallas Cowboys inducted Bob Hayes into the Cowboys Ring of Honor for his incredible career. However, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009 which was seven years after his death.
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