Jim Hines dead: Ex-Chiefs WR and Olympic 100m champion dies at 76, cause of death yet to be revealed

On June 3, 2023, former NFL wide receiver Jim Hines passed away at 76. The cause of his death remains unknown.

The Miami Dolphins drafted Hines in the sixth round of the 1968 NFL Draft. However, he spent his rookie year on the practice squad and had limited playing time the following year, accumulating only 52 all-purpose yards in ten games.

His NFL career ended after playing one game for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970. Throughout his three-year career, Hines recorded two receptions for 23 yards, 22 kick return yards, and seven rushing yards.

In 2016, Jim Hines posed at his alma mater, McClymonds High School in Oakland, California. (Image credit: MediaNewsGroup via Getty Images)

Unfortunately, his professional football journey was underwhelming, leading to the nickname "Oops" and even being mentioned in an article about the worst players in NFL history.

Jim Hines achieved glory in athletics

Jim Hines, the Arkansas-born athlete, had already established himself as a track and field legend before his NFL career. He is renowned for being the first sprinter to break the ten-second barrier in the 100-meter dash.Hines achieved this milestone during the 1968 United States National Championships, where he clocked in at a manually-timed 9.9 seconds.

A few months later, Hines won gold in the 100-meter dash during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

However, controversy surrounded his official time due to discrepancies between manual and automatic timing. Initially, the screen displayed his winning time as 9.89 seconds. However, it was later adjusted to 9.95 seconds to align with automatic timing, which begins at the sound of the gun. According to manual timing, he finished the race at 9.99 seconds.

By 1977, automatic timing became the sole basis for world records. Since Hines had the fastest time then, his 9.95-second finish became an official world record.

Fellow American Calvin Smith broke this record in 1983, finishing the 100-meter dash in 9.83 seconds.

Hines also achieved another world record during the 1968 Olympics by winning a gold medal in the 4 x 100-meter relay. His contributions to track and field extended beyond his athletic prowess. Hines, along with other black athletes, threatened to boycott the Mexico Olympics to protest the potential inclusion of apartheid South Africa in the Games. This demonstrated his commitment to championing civil rights.

In June 1967, he established another world record by finishing the 200-meter sprint in 20.59 seconds. These achievements make him worthy of being a part of conversations for the greatest track athlete ever.

In recognition of his outstanding career, Jim Hines was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. Over two decades later, he also became an inductee of the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame.