Bob Hayes - Only Man To Win Olympic Gold & Superbowl

Nice video. I was 3 when that race happened. I knew of him as 'Bullet' Bob Hayes, Dallas Cowboys WR, only peripherally aware that he was also an Olympic Gold Medalist in the 100.

Then there's the purported 8.5 relay split in the 4 x 100m relay.

https://youtu.be/J5OhpzFZ0ys

Michael Carter won three Super Bowls as a 49er and a silver medal in the shot.

First Olympics I remember watching. Bullet Bob was the star of stars.

As a young kid when Hayes played in the NFL, I wondered why he didn't go deep on every play and score at will. Underestimating other's speed and the effect of wearing equipment, I thought it was obvious that no one could be near the 'fastest man in the world' when he ran a fly pattern.

Great video.

Bullet Bob Hayes was a stud. Only remember him from his Cowboys days.

Billy Mills smoked the other 2 lead runners as he snaked his way through about 8 other Lapped runners in the final 200. Looked like he could have run 15k.

It looks like the Ethiopians were dominate in the marathon even back in 64. The dude was just coming off appendicitis and still easily won. And had enough left to do calisthenics afterwards. It was funny the movie focused on the water stops.

old guy 74 wrote:

Michael Carter won three Super Bowls as a 49er and a silver medal in the shot.

...So Bob Hayes is still the only man to win a Gold and the Superbowl.

Pretty cool, though.

just the facts wrote:

As a young kid when Hayes played in the NFL, I wondered why he didn't go deep on every play and score at will. Underestimating other's speed and the effect of wearing equipment, I thought it was obvious that no one could be near the 'fastest man in the world' when he ran a fly pattern.

Bob Hayes speed in the NFL is what drove defense schemes to move to zone defenses and bump & run from db's.

Hayes presence on the field made defenses spread the field resulting in easier yards for running backs.

Oh, and that 8.4 second 4x1 split on cynders??

No one else, ever.

Had the US not boycotted the 1980 Olympics, Willie Gault and/or Renaldo Nehemiah may have joined Hayes in having that distinction.

foo wrote:

Had the US not boycotted the 1980 Olympics, Willie Gault and/or Renaldo Nehemiah may have joined Hayes in having that distinction.

Could be - we'll never know, thanks to the Head Peanut Farmer In Charge.

I love revisiting this, he was a hero of mine when I was a kid. Dude could motor, and exuded power.

Hobbyist wrote:

Bob Hayes speed in the NFL is what drove defense schemes to move to zone defenses and bump & run from db's.

Hayes presence on the field made defenses spread the field resulting in easier yards for running backs.

I am aware of this now, but as a 10-12 year old just starting to watch football and enthralled with runners and speed, I couldn't understand why he couldn't catch a touchdown pass on every play. I watched expecting it!

just the facts wrote:

As a young kid when Hayes played in the NFL, I wondered why he didn't go deep on every play and score at will. Underestimating other's speed and the effect of wearing equipment, I thought it was obvious that no one could be near the 'fastest man in the world' when he ran a fly pattern.

We saw each of the Dallas games in Hayes's rookie season. And yes, no one in the NFL could cover him.

I think that sometimes the problem was that Don Meredith just couldn't throw the football as far as Hayes could go, in the time between the snap from center and the release of the throw.

Interesting that he's the only one with that combo.

We know Nehemiah had the hurdles record and won a Super Bowl.

Willie Gault won a WC Gold had a relay WR and a Super Bowl

Ron Brown won Oly Gold in a relay WR and made Pro Bowl

Sam Graddy also won medals and played Football but he had butter fingers

Right, but wrote:

old guy 74 wrote:

Michael Carter won three Super Bowls as a 49er and a silver medal in the shot.

...So Bob Hayes is still the only man to win a Gold and the Superbowl.

Pretty cool, though.

Didn't end so cool, though.

He also got a 5 year sentence for selling cocaine. Served 10 months.

He died at 59 and had been living with his parents as a broken man due to multiple addictions.

He never got in to the NFL Hall of Fame cuz of the bust.

NotSoFast Buddy wrote:

Right, but wrote:

...So Bob Hayes is still the only man to win a Gold and the Superbowl.

Pretty cool, though.

Didn't end so cool, though.

He also got a 5 year sentence for selling cocaine. Served 10 months.

He died at 59 and had been living with his parents as a broken man due to multiple addictions.

He never got in to the NFL Hall of Fame cuz of the bust.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

malmo wrote:

Then there's the purported 8.5 relay split in the 4 x 100m relay.

https://youtu.be/J5OhpzFZ0ys

Not living in the US, I didn't know about Hayes' football career when I was a kid, but I saw his Tokyo races in the famous Japanese movie of the '64 Games. His victory in the 100m was as emphatic as any I have seen since in the event - Bolt included - but the relay leg was something else. No one has ever made his competitors at that level look as though they were standing still. I have little doubt that, as a football player who doubled briefly in track - and an amateur in both, he was the most naturally talented sprinter ever, and competing today with modern tracks, shoes and professional training he would still likely be the best. In '63 he ran a flying 100y in 7.8s, topping just under 27mph. Incredible in the conditions of that time and as an amateur. Sprinting at that time was not known to have been taken over by ped's - steroids were then fairly crude and mainly used to bulk up in field events - and I would incline to the view that Hayes was clean, especially since there was no money on the line.

Right, but wrote:

old guy 74 wrote:

Michael Carter won three Super Bowls as a 49er and a silver medal in the shot.

...So Bob Hayes is still the only man to win a Gold and the Superbowl.

Pretty cool, though.

I believe Hayes and Jim Thorpe and the only 2 athletes in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with Gold Medals. Ollie Matson won a silver and bronze. Am I missing anyone?