In his prime, he was the fastest man in the world. In the NFL, he was so impossible to guard defenses invented the zone and bump & run to guard him. Who is this week’s Lost & Found? Bob Hayes.
Hayes first started opening eyes on the track. While at Florida A&M, he was the first man to run the 60-yard dash in under six seconds (5.9s). By his senior season he was a world-class sprinter and he entered the Olympics, running for USA.
He did not disappoint. He broke the World Record in the 100-meter dash (10.06s), winning gold, and he won another gold as the star in a World Record-setting 400-meter relay team.
Immediately after the Olympics, he went straight to the NFL. He was drafted by the Cowboys in the seventh round. He made an immediate impact, leading the MNFL in receiving touchdowns in his first two seasons.
Defenses were finding it impossible to guard him with just one person. They started using bump & run techniques to slow him down, and zone coverages to keep him in front. These techniques, which are so commonly used today, were invented because of Bob Hayes. That’s what you call influence.
He continued to have a very productive 11-year pro career. He was a very talented punt returner who also was named to the All-Pro team three times. He passed away in 2002, but was posthumously elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
Many people today could not tell you who he is and that’s a shame. Bob Hayes, JOCKpost salutes you.
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