Bob Hayes' Sister Reads His Words After Posthumous Hall of Fame Selection

TAMPA, Fla. -- The best moment of this Super Bowl week took place this afternoon in a conference room at the Super Bowl media center, when Lucille Hester, the sister of former Cowboys wide receiver Bob Hayes, read a letter that her late brother wrote to her before he died, detailing what he wanted to say if he was ever selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

That selection came today, and the letter that Hester read brought goose bumps and audible gasps to those in the room.

Hayes' letter said:

I would like to thank everyone who supported me to get into the NFL Hall of Fame. Thank the Dallas Cowboy organization, all of my teammates and everyone who played for the Cowboys. Thank the San Francisco 49ers too.

Thank the fans from all around the country and the world. Thank the committee who voted for me and also some who may not have. Thank mother and my family. Thank Roger Staubach and tell all my teammates I love them. Thank the Pro Football Hall of Fame, all the NFL teams and players, Florida A&M University.

Thank you to everyone who attended Matthew Gilbert High School. Thank everyone in Jacksonville and Florida and everyone especially on the East Side of Jacksonville, where we were raised. Thank everyone in the city of Dallas, and the state of Texas, and just thank everyone in the whole world. I love you all.

[Signed]
Bob Hayes.

Hester also thanked Rick Gosselin and Paul Zimmerman, two Hall of Fame voters who have long championed Hayes' induction.

Hayes won two Olympic gold medals in 1964 and was the world's fastest man, with a 10.0-second 100-meter dash. The Cowboys drafted him that year, thinking a player with his raw athletic ability had a chance to become a threat as a wide receiver.

Hayes exceeded all expectations on the football field. He led the league in receiving touchdowns in each of his first two seasons, as opposing defenses simply had no answer for his blazing speed. Eventually teams began to use zone defenses against the Cowboys and Hayes became less effective, but the very fact that new defensive tactics were deployed to stop Hayes was considered a strong point in his favor, according to Hall of Fame voters I talked to.

Hayes retired after one year with the San Francisco 49ers in 1975. He died in 2002 at age 59.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-31-2009 @ 4:55PM

kinkboy1121 said...

The fans of the nfl around the country thank you bob hayes for loving football soooo much god rest your soul, and to your sister, thank you for bringing his wish true

1-31-2009 @ 5:10PM

tmcgil1957 said...

At last! Bob Hayes was a great athlete, one I was priviledged to watch. His place in NFL history is now there for everyone to see as long as the NFL lasts. What a loyal and loving sister Mrs. Hester was, and is, to Bob. He brought greatness to the track world and the NFL. God rest your soul, Bob.

1-31-2009 @ 7:53PM

tbr3guys said...

At long last. Way too long. It is an honor long past due to a player that not only electrified the game, but changed how it is played. How sad that it wasn't done "in the living years" of the great Bob Hayes, so we could hear his thanks in his own voice.

2-01-2009 @ 12:01AM

nickbob said...

I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS 3 COMMENTS TOTALLY. HE WAS THE MAIN REASON THAT I STARTED WATCHING FOOTBALL ON TV WHEN I WAS 14 YRS. OLD. I AM 57 YRS. OLD AND STILL A COWBOYS FANS BECAUSE OF 'BULLET BOB HAYES'. IT IS CERTAINLY ABOUT TIME HE GOT THE RECOGNITION HE DESERVED. I KNOW HE IS LOOKING DOWN AS HE BURSTS FROM CLOUD TO CLOUD WITH AMAZING SPEED. GOD BLESS HIM FOR ETERNITY..

2-01-2009 @ 6:00AM

demzrdopes said...

Bullet Bob had incredible speed, but his numbers aren't hall of fame numbers. I still can't believe no team has signer Hassain Bolt to a contract.

2-01-2009 @ 2:09PM

rfern2000 said...

Bob Hayes was a football player who ran track in the off season to keep in shape. Usain Bolt is and always has been a sprinter, nothing else. If someone like Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh ever hit him, he would be in pieces. Hayes was the real deal and his speed was so far ahead of his time that it required wholesale changes in defensive scheme ( the zone). Long may his accomplishments be held in the highest esteem! Bullet Bob!

2-01-2009 @ 3:39PM

sprofc said...

I'm glad he is in as KICKBOB said above he is the reason I started to watch football and at the time a die hard Dallas fan back in the day...I live in the Philly area now and can't mention Dallas but we could use a Bob Hayes now on this team.Sad I just left the store to get some chips and mentioned to a football fan standing in line Bob Hayes got selected and the person had no idea whom I was talking about.... he was a 30 something so I wasn't upset just a shame that all that history with him very few people know how he help change football.