Olympic sprint champ Bob Hayes passes away
"Bullet" Bob Hayes, the former Olympic gold medal sprinter and star Dallas Cowboys receiver who was once known as the fastest man alive, died in his hometown of Jacksonville, a hospital spokeswoman said Thursday. He was 59.
Hayes, who won two Olympic gold medals at the 1964 Tokyo games and whose blazing speed reshaped professional football's passing game, died of complications from his battles with prostate cancer as well as liver and kidney ailments, the Cowboys' Web site said.
"He passed away yesterday (Wednesday) evening at 11:15," Shands Jacksonville hospital spokeswoman Joanna Norris said.
Born Dec. 20, 1942, in Jacksonville, Hayes gained a reputation as a speedster at his elementary school before moving on to a sterling track career in high school and at Florida A&M University, where he was also a football star.
He was dubbed "the fastest man alive" when he won the 100 meters in Tokyo, with a world record time of 10 seconds flat in a performance at the Olympics that was the highlight of his track career.
Six days after winning the gold standard of speed in the 100 meters, his contribution to the men's 4x100 meters relay was equally spectacular.
After some poor baton exchanges, the United States was in fifth place, trailing France by around three metres when Hayes started his anchor leg.
In what track watchers said was one of the most astonishing displays of sprinting ever seen at the Olympics, Hayes took the lead after a third of his leg and crossed the finish line a good three meters ahead of the Polish runner in second place.
That was his final track race.
The following year, the Cowboys took a chance in drafting the sprint champion even though he had limited football experience.
The gamble paid off as Hayes set the league on fire in his rookie season, leading all receivers with an average of 21.8 yards per catch and scoring 12 touchdowns. He became only the second rookie to gain more than 1,000 receiving yards.
Opposing teams could not find defenders fast enough to match Hayes in man-to-man coverage and introduced the then-new concept of zone defenses to try and prevent the Olympian from breaking free down field for big-play catches.
In his career, Hayes totaled 371 catches for 7,414 yards.
Hayes retired in 1976 with the honor of being the only athlete to win an Olympic gold medal and Super Bowl ring. But off the field troubles with drugs and alcohol, as well as a stint in prison, kept him from earning a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame.
In 1979, Hayes was sentenced to a 10-month prison sentence on drug charges and was in and out of drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs up until his death.
"His once-in-a-lifetime athletic talent was a gift from above -- for all of us to enjoy and remember," said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. "He handled the triumphs and the setbacks with the same grace and humility."
Hayes was enshrined last year into the Cowboys "Ring of Honor," which celebrates the greatest players in franchise history.
"I'm thrilled, I'm grateful, I'm blessed," Hayes said at his induction ceremony.
