Hayes, Bob

Bob Hayes, byname of Robert Lee Hayes, also known as “Bullet” Bob Hayes, (born December 20, 1942, Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.—died September 18, 2002, Jacksonville), American sprinter who, although he was relatively slow out of the starting block and had an almost lumbering style of running, was a remarkably powerful sprinter with as much raw speed as any athlete in history. He also was a noted American football player.

Hayes began running as a boy with his brother Ernest, who was training to be a boxer. At Matthew W. Gilbert High School in Jacksonville, Hayes played running back on the football team and sprinted, as he also did at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (Tallahassee) in 1960–64. He set a world record (9.1 seconds) for the 100-yard dash in 1963. At the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, he won the gold medal for the 100-metre dash and tied the world record (10.0 seconds). He also won a gold medal as the anchor of the 4 × 100-metre relay team. The relay victory was a world-record performance (39.0 seconds) highlighted by Hayes, who was trailing by 4 metres when he received the baton and won the race by 3 metres, covering his leg in an estimated 8.6 seconds.

After retiring from sprinting, Hayes played professional football as wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys for 10 seasons, beginning in 1965. He helped the Cowboys win the Super Bowl in 1972. At the time of his retirement from football in 1976, he held team records for career touchdowns (71), average yards per reception (20.0), and average yards per kick return (11.1), among others. In 2009 Hayes was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.