Fastest man alive deserves kudos
by Chris Taylor, reporter

    Bob Hayes, a receiver for the Dallas Cowboys during the America’s team era, died Wednesday, Sept. 19.

   Hayes, once dubbed the “World’s fastest human,” remains the only player to have won an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring.

   Many people, including most of today’s NFL players, are not aware of Hayes’ contributions to the game. However, those contributions are seen on a weekly basis in today’s NFL. Ever hear of the zone defense?

   Because Hayes was so fast, it was impossible to cover him one-on-one, so teams began to use a relatively new concept in the ’60s called the zone defense.

   Hayes joined the Cowboys in 1965, a year after he tied a world record in the 100 meter at the Tokyo Olympics. He immediately made an impact on the struggling expansion team. Before Hayes’ arrival, the Cowboys had compiled a record of 18-46-4. During Hayes’ first season, the Cowboys went 7-7, and later went 63-19-2 over the next six seasons, culminating with a win in the 1972 Super Bowl

   Hayes went to the Pro Bowl three times during his career and still holds or shares 22 team-receiving records. Hayes ended his career with 371 receptions, 71 touchdowns and an average of 20 yards per reception.

   Even with those numbers, which compare favorably with other Hall of Fame receivers of that era, Hayes has been excluded from the NFL Hall of Fame and, until last year, the Cowboys Ring of Honor.

   Much of the blame could be placed on Hayes’ substance abuse problems, which landed him a 10-month prison sentence in 1979.

   Considering the talent level of many players in the Hall, Hayes’ numbers rank with the best. Just the fact that defenses had to change to stop Hayes should be enough to get him a bust in Canton.

   However, the NFL has historically been unreceptive to Cowboys eligible for the Hall of Fame. If he had played for any other team, and without the substance abuse, Hayes would almost certainly be there by now.

   As it stands now, Hayes was not elected for 15 years on the normal ballot, and now must go through a nine-member senior committee to be inducted.

   Many of the former players have lobbied for Hayes’ induction with no success so far. Hayes’ greatest dream was to be in the Hall of Fame.

   Sadly, he won’t be alive to see it when and if it happens.