Mel Renfro
.jpg) Renfro in Super Bowl V in January 1971 | |||||||||
| No. 20 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 30, 1941 Houston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Jefferson (Portland, Oregon) | ||||||||
| College: | Oregon | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1964 / Round: 2 / Pick: 17 | ||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1964 / Round: 10 / Pick: 79 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||
Melvin Lacy Renfro (born December 30, 1941) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 14-year career as a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL).[1] He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[2]
Early years
Born in
In track as a junior in 1959, he helped Jefferson win the team title by winning the 180-yard
In 1983, he was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.
College career
In 1960, Renfro enrolled at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where he excelled for the track team and as a two-way football player, an All-American halfback and defensive back.[6] In football, he earned All-Coast recognition three times and is one of only two-time All-American (Steve Barnett is the other player) in university history. He is also the second two-sport All-American in university history, the first one was George Shaw in football and baseball.
In 1992, Renfro was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame.
Football
From the start of his sophomore season, Renfro received recognition as one of the best and most complete
One of Renfro's best collegiate games took place against
An Oregon sportswriter asked a Houston counterpart in the press box if an African-American had ever received such an ovation by a predominantly white crowd. The Texan enthusiastically replied, "We've never seen any player that good!" The morning after the game, a Houston paper headlined, "Renfro Runs Rice Ragged."
Renfro led Oregon in rushing three straight seasons (1961–63), finishing with a career total 1,540 yards and 23 touchdowns. He still holds the university's career record for highest average per play at 6.01 yards. Renfro also had 41 catches for 644 yards and five touchdowns,[9] very impressive numbers in an era when running backs usually did not catch more than 10 passes during a season.
In 1986, Renfro was enshrined in the
Track and field
From 1960 through 1965, the Oregon's men's track and field team led by coach Bill Bowerman was one of the best in the United States. In 1962, Renfro contributed to the university's first NCAA team championship by finishing second behind teammate Jerry Tarr in the 120-yard (110 m) high hurdles with a 13.8 time and third in the long jump with a 25'-11¼" (7.905 m) leap.[10]
That year, Renfro was part of a world-record-setting 440-yard relay team with a time of 40.0 seconds; his running mates were Tarr,
In 1963, Renfro injured his knee on a foul
Professional career
Renfro was drafted in the second round of the 1964 NFL draft, 17th overall, by the Dallas Cowboys. The selection delayed the draft for six hours, while the Cowboys sent a doctor to check an injury he suffered on his wrist.[12]
Although Renfro had won many accolades as a
In
Renfro was switched to
In his 14 seasons, Renfro intercepted 52 passes, returning them for 626 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned 109 punts for 842 yards and one touchdown, 85 kickoffs for 2,246 yards and two touchdowns, along with recording 13 fumble recoveries, which he returned for 44 yards. In the 1970 NFC Championship Game, Renfro had a key interception that led to the Cowboys' game-winning touchdown over the San Francisco 49ers that helped them get to Super Bowl V, where they lost to the Baltimore Colts, 16–13. In an enduring image from the game after Jim O'Brien's game-winning kick, Renfro put his face in his hands in disappointment. Dallas returned in Super Bowls VI, X, and XII, Renfro's last NFL game, a Cowboys' 27–10 victory over the Denver Broncos. He remains the Cowboys' all-time leader in interceptions with 52 (In 1969 he led the NFL in interceptions with 10) and in career kickoff-return average (26.4 yards). His 14 seasons with the team ties him for second place in franchise history.
Renfro joined the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1981 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.[2] During his time with the Cowboys, even though one of his teammates was former Olympic gold medalist and one-time world's fastest man Bob Hayes, many experts still considered him the best athlete on the team.
Personal life
In
In the early 1980s, Renfro had financial and legal challenges.[15] He currently works as a motivational speaker. Renfro has four children" Melvin Jr, Anthony, Cindy and Jason. He was married to Patricia Renfro through his entire career.
References
- ^ "Renfro was Deion of his day in ability". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. July 26, 1996. p. 1C.
- ^ a b "Wait for fame is worth it". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 28, 1996. p. 3G.
- ^ Mullin, Bob (November 28, 1959). "Medford tips Jeff 7–6 for state title". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 6.
- ^ "Faces in the Crowd". Sports Illustrated. June 13, 1960. p. 13.
- ^ "High School Boys Athletes of the Year". Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ Leutzinger, Dick (October 13, 1963). "Renfro leads Oregon to win". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 1B.
- ^ a b Strite, Dick (October 14, 1962). "Webfoots wallop Rice". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 1B.
- ^ Strite, Dick (October 15, 1962). "Highclimber". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 2B.
- ^ "Players: Mel Renfro". sports-reference.com. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ Thompson, Bill (June 18, 1962). "Oregon new king of U.S. track". Bend Bulletin. Oregon. p. 3.
- ^ Strite, Dick (June 14, 1963). "Southern Cal likely to dethrone Oregon". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 2B.
- ^ Brandt, Gil (April 9, 2014). "1964 draft left lasting impact on Dallas Cowboys, NFL". NFL.com. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ "Player: Mel Renfro". profootballhof.com. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ "Renfro's runs pace Nationals' 27–6 win". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. AP. January 25, 1971. p. 20. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
- ^ "Mel Renfro jailed on support charge". Eugene REgister-Guard. Oregon. March 11, 1981. p. 3D.
External links
- Official website
- Mel Renfro at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Mel Renfro at the College Football Hall of Fame
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference ·