Robert Lee “Bullet Bob” Hayes (December 20, 1942 – September 18, 2002) was an Olympic sprinter turned American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. An American track and field athlete….he was a two-sport stand-out in college in both track and football at Florida A&M University. He was called The Bullet….cuz he was the world’s fastest HUMAN at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics….and for many years….was the blur that burned defensive backs on a regular basis in the NFL….as QB Don Meredith’s favorite down the field target. Hayes was enshrined in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2001 and was selected for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in January 2009. He was officially inducted in Canton, Ohio on August 8, 2009. Hayes is the second Olympic gold medalist to be inducted to the Hall of Fame….after Jim Thorpe. Once considered the world’s fastest man by virtue of his multiple world records in the 60-yard, 100-yard, 220-yard, and Olympic 100-meter dashes, Hayes was the first man to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.
