Born 20 December 1942, Jacksonville, FloridaDied 18 September 2002, Jacksonville, Florida
Inducted 1975
Robert Lee Hayes started his career as a sprinter during his junior year at Matthew Gilbert High School in Jacksonville. Competing in an era of racial segregation, Hayed wasn't allowed to run in the Florida High School Activities Association championships, but he did have six second-place finishes in the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association state meet in 1960. Later that year Hayes entered Florida A & M University in Tallahasseee. During his tenure there, he won three NAIA titles (100y 1961, 220y 1961,100m 1964) and three AAU titles (100y 1962, 100y 1963, and 100m 1964), and set world records in the 60-yard dash, the 100-yard dash, the 100-meter dash, and the 220-yard dash. The crowning glory of his track career was the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, where he won the 100-meter dash and anchored the United States' winning 4 x 100m relay team (his split was reported as a phenomenal 8.6 seconds).
About two months after the Olympics, Hayes signed with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, effectively ending his track and field career. Hayes played for eleven years in the NFL, becoming the first athlete to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.
No comments:
Post a Comment