Photo: Florida Memory / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Bob Hayes is the rare athlete who literally changed how a sport is played. After winning Olympic gold and being crowned the world's fastest man in Tokyo, he took that speed to the Dallas Cowboys and forced the NFL to invent zone defenses just to cope with him, because man coverage simply could not. The fact that he is the only person to own both an Olympic gold and a Super Bowl ring is one of those stats that stops you cold. I find it both thrilling and a little tragic that his Hall of Fame induction only came after his death; his impact on the game was undeniable and recognition was long overdue.
Overview
Bob Hayes (1942-2002) was an American sprinter and football player born in Jacksonville, Florida. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics he won gold in the 100 meters and anchored the U.S. 4x100 meters relay to gold, earning the nickname "the world's fastest man." He then became a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, where his speed transformed pass defenses and helped the team win a Super Bowl. He remains the only athlete to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring, and was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bob Hayes
- Name (Japanese)
- ボブ・ヘイズ
- Reading
- ぼぶ・へいず
- Born
- December 20, 1942 – September 18, 2002
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Horse
- Origin
- Jacksonville, Florida, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 183cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Sprinter / American football player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Sprinter — see all → · American football player — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.