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Bob Hayes

Robert Lee ("Bullet Bob") Hayes (December 20, 1942 – September 18, 2002) was an Olympic gold-medal sprinter turned star receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and was once considered the world's fastest man. Bob Hayes is one of the select few to be enshrined in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. Before pro football, Bob Hayes was an American track and field athlete. He was a two-sport athlete in college where he excelled in both track and college football at Florida A&M University.

In 1962, while still a student at Florida A&M, Hayes ran a new world record for the 100 yard dash with a time of 9.2 seconds. The next year he broke his own record with a time of 9.1, a record that would not be broken for eleven years (until Ivory Crockett ran a 9.0 in 1974). That same year, 1963, Hayes set the world best for 200 meters (20.5 seconds, although the time was never ratified) and tied the world record for the 220 yard dash with a time of 20.6 seconds (while running into an 8 mph wind). Hayes was also the first person to break 6 seconds in the 60 yard dash with his indoor world record of 5.9 seconds. He was the AAU 100 yard dash champion three years running, from 1962–1964, and in 1964 he was the NCAA champion in the 200 meter dash. He would miss part of his senior year in college because of his 1964 Olympic bid for U.S. Gold.

Olympics

At the 1964 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo, Hayes had his finest hour as a sprinter. First, he won the 100 m by tying the current World Record in the 100 m with a time of 10.0 seconds, even though he was running in lane 1 which had, the day before, been used for the 10km and this badly chewed up the cinder track. He also was running in borrowed spikes because one of his shoes had been kicked under the bed when he was playing with some friends and he didn't realize until he got there. This was followed by a second gold medal in the 4 x 100 meter relay, which also produced a new World Record (39.06 seconds).

His anchor leg run (in the relay race) was the fastest ever according to many critics, being hand timed at 8.5 seconds. If true, this stint was quicker than that of Asafa Powell's, who was electronically timed as running 8.70 seconds while anchoring the Jamaican team in the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

His come-from-behind win for the US team was one of the most memorable Olympic moments. Jocelyn Delecour, France's anchor leg runner, famously said to Paul Drayton before the relay final that, "you can't win, all you have is Bob Hayes." Drayton was able to reply afterwards, "all you need..." The race was also Hayes' last as a track and field athlete, as he permanently switched to football after it.

National Football League career

In 1964 the Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the seventh round, taking a chance an Olympic sprinter with unrefined football skills could excel as a wide receiver. The bet paid off, due to his amazing feats as a receiver, Hayes has been credited by many with forcing the way the rest of the NFL conducted pass defense. (see zone defense below) His first two seasons were most successful, during which he led the NFL both times in receiving touchdowns.

In 1966 when the Cowboys played at Washington, Hayes caught 9 passes for 246 yards. Earlier that same season he caught 6 passes for 195 yards against the Giants at the Cotton Bowl. Hayes' speed forced other teams to develop the zone defense since no single player could keep up with him. By spreading the defense out in order to contain Hayes, it allowed the Cowboys running game, with players like Don Perkins, Calvin Hill, Walt Garrison and Duane Thomas to flourish. Hayes returned punts for the Cowboys and was the NFL's leading punt returner in 1968 with a 20.8 yards per return average and 2 touchdowns including a 90 yarder against Pittsburgh. He was named to the Pro Bowl three times and All Pro four times. He helped Dallas win 5 Eastern Conference titles, 2 NFC titles, played in two Super Bowls, and was instrumental in Dallas' first ever Super Bowl victory in 1971, making Hayes the only person so far to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring. Later in his career, as defenses improved playing zone and "bump and run coverage" was developed, Hayes' value as a decoy diminished. Hayes played one season for the San Francisco 49ers before retiring.

Hayes was the first player in the history of the Dallas franchise to surpass 1000 yards receiving in a single season, and he did that in his rookie year by finishing with 1,003 yards. Also during his rookie year, he led the team with 46 receptions and set franchise records for total touchdowns (13) and total receiving TDs (12). He finished his 11-year career with 371 receptions for 7,414 yards and 71 touchdowns, giving him an impressive 20 yards per catch average. (Both career TDs and yds per catch average remain franchise records.) He also rushed for 68 yards, gained 581 yards on 23 kickoff returns, and returned 104 punts for 1,158 yards and 3 touchdowns. To this day, Hayes holds 10 regular-season receiving records, four punt return records and 22 overall franchise marks, making him one of the greatest receivers to ever play for the Dallas Cowboys.

Death

On September 18, 2002, Hayes died in his hometown Jacksonville of kidney failure aged 59, after battling prostate cancer and liver ailments.

Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility

Hayes was close to being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004, but was denied the opportunity in the final round of decision making. The decision was marred by controversy, with many claiming that the Hall of Fame Senior Selection Committee had a bias against members of the Dallas Cowboys and other NFL teams. Others believe Hayes' longstanding problems with drug abuse marred his chances. Shortly after the announcement of the new 2004 Hall of Fame members, long-time Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman resigned from the Selection Committee in protest of the decision to leave Hayes out of the Hall. On August 27, 2008 he was named as one of 2 senior candidates for the 2009 Hall of Fame election.