CANTON, OHIO -- The Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony Saturday had a strong Drake Relays flavor.
Former Drake Relays champions Rod Woodson and Bob Hayes were part of the seven-man Class of 2009 inductees.
Hayes, who died in 2002 at age 59, was inducted posthumously.
Hayes, who was inducted into the 1969 Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Fame, was the first person to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual event and a Super Bowl championship ring with the Dallas Cowboys.
Drake Relays fans first saw Hayes in 1962 when he equaled the Drake Relays 100-yard dash record at :09.4 in a preliminary heat. He won the finals of the 100-yard dash easily in :09.5.
He also anchored Florida A&M to a Drake Relays record in the 440-yard relay in :40.8, while also anchoring the 880-yard relay to victory in 1:25.3.
Woodson had a unique Saturday afternoon session as a senior at Purdue at the 1987 Drake Relays.
Earlier in that day Woodson was selected as the No. 10 overall NFL draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers. , Hours later Woodson finished second in the men's university-college 110 hurdles at the 1987 Drake Relays and then returned to splinter three hurdles en route to a :13.5 anchor leg that let Purdue win the university-college shuttle hurdle relay in :59.0.
Hayes earned the title world's fastest human after winning gold medals in the 100-meter dash and the 4x100 relay at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Then he helped significantly change the game of pro football as opponents accounted for his world-class speed with double and triple coverages and zone defenses. He posted a 21.8 yard reception average and an NFL-high 12 receiving touchdowns as a rookie in 1965, then had a league-high 13 touchdown receptions in 1966.
He also led the NFL with a 20.8-yard punt-return average in 1968 when he ran back two kicks for touchdowns. For his career, Hayes averaged 20 yards a catch and had 71 receiving touchdowns, which remains a Cowboys franchise record.
Woodson, who qualified for the 1984 Olympic Trials in the 110 hurdles, held out until midseason before signing. While away from the sport, he didn't train for football but instead ran European track as a hurdler.
Woodson was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team — in just the eighth season of his 17-year career. Woodson was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and earned first-team all-pro honors six times at three positions — cornerback, safety and kick returner.
He played in three Super Bowls with three teams — Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Oakland. He also holds the NFL record for most career touchdowns off interception returns (12), was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993 and earned a spot on the All-Decade Team for the 1990s.
Woodson ranks third on the NFL's all-time list with 71 career interceptions, returned for a league-record 1,483 yards.
Woodson entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first season of eligibility as one of the best cornerbacks in league history.
Woodson, best known for his 10 seasons with the Steelers from 1987-96, made the Pro Bowl 11 times — a record for a defensive back. The 1993 defensive player of the year owns NFL records with 12 interceptions returned for touchdowns and 1,483 yards on interception returns, even though his 71 career interceptions were only third-best. He also returned kicks early in his career.
Woodson wanted to finish his career in Pittsburgh, but contract issues and the salary cap led him to sign with the 49ers in 1997. He moved on to Baltimore a year later and played four seasons, switching to safety in 1999 and finally winning a Super Bowl during the 2000 season with one of the best defenses in NFL history.
Woodson played two seasons with Oakland before retiring.
