[Gotham Dark Knight]

Before there was a Terrell Owens, Michael Irivn, Tony Hill or even a Drew Pearson in Dallas there was Robert Lee Hayes. Bob Hayes (aka Bullet Bob) was the Cowboys first superstar receiver, and a two sports legend long before Deion Sanders ever set foot in Big D.

Blessed with amazing world class speed, Bob became a track standout as a student at Florida A&M university, where he won the AAU 100 meter title three times. He also picked up a world record in the 100 yard dash, 100 meters, and 200 meters, along with and a pair of Gold medals at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. He was later elected to the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Dubbed the "World Fastest Human" by the time he arrived in Dallas, Hayes was nothing short of spectacular for the Cowboys. In his rookie year of 1965, Bob caught 46 passes for 1003 yards and 12 touchdowns. He went on to surpass that with 1232 yards and 13 touchdowns the following season.

By the time he was done in Dallas, Hayes held the franchise records for touchdown receptions with 71, and is still the holder of over 20 other franchise records. He was also a 4 time All-Pro and a 3 time Pro Bowler

His Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor Bio relates the following story on his legendary speed. “An indelible image of Hayes's electrifying speed came in 1971 at Yankee Stadium when Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach threw a 20-yard pass to Hayes that turned into an 85-yard touchdown. Hayes caught the ball even with cornerback Spider Lockhart, and in the next 65 yards built a 10-yard lead.”

Hayes was enshrined in the Ring of Honor at Texas Stadium on September of 2001. He died almost a year later after a fight with cancer. His mark on NFL can be felt in the simple words of former teammate Mike Ditka who said, “"We need to get him in the Hall of Fame."