Jim Hines Obituary

Jim Hines was an American track and field athlete and National Football League (NFL) player, who held the 100-meter world record for 15 years.

In 1968, he became the first man to officially break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters and won individual and relay gold at the Mexico City Olympics. Hines reached the 100 m final and won it with the time 9.89 appearing on the screen, later corrected to 9.95. The 9.98 appearing on the screen, was later corrected to 9.95.

After these successes, Hines was a 6th-round pick in the 1968 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, an American football team. Hines did not have the football skills to match his speed and spent the 1968 season on the practice squad. He was given the nickname, Oops due to his lack of football skills. Hines was ranked the 10th worst NFL player of all time by Deadspin writer, Jeff Pearlman.

For years Hines worked with inner-city youth in Houston, as well as on oil rigs outside the city. Hines’s world record remained unbeaten until Calvin Smith ran 9.93, also at altitude, in July 1983.

He was inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame, class of 2016.