.png) Renfro from 1962Oregana yearbook | |||||||||||
| No. 20 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1941-12-30)December 30, 1941 (age 83) 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: 2nd round, 17th overall pick | ||||||||||
| AFL draft | 1964: 10th round, 79th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Melvin Lacy Renfro (born December 30, 1941) is an American former professionalfootball player who spent his entire 14-year career as acornerback for theDallas Cowboys of theNational Football League (NFL).[1] He is a member of thePro Football Hall of Fame.[2]
Born inHouston,Texas, Renfro moved with his family toPortland, Oregon, and he attended itsJefferson High School, starring as a two-way football player andtrack and field athlete. As a sophomore and junior, he contributed to his team achieving a 23–0 record, including consecutive Class A-1 football state championships in 1957 and 1958. The Democrats' 1958 team is regarded as one of the greatest in Oregon prep history, which had abackfield that included him athalfback,quarterbackTerry Baker (1962Heisman Trophy winner atOregon State),halfbackMickey Hergert (one of the leading ground gainers in the nation atLewis & Clark College) and his brotherRaye Renfro atfullback (in 1958 he broke a Portland Interscholastic League record with 24touchdowns). After Baker graduated, Renfro saw playing time atquarterback as a senior in 1959 and was also an all-state selection atrunning back, as Jefferson pursued a third consecutive title. They again advanced to the championship game, played before more than 21,000 atMultnomah Stadium in Portland, but lost 7–6 toMedford.[3]
In track as a junior in 1959, he helped Jefferson win the team title by winning the 180-yardlow hurdles, the 120-yardhigh hurdles (breaking the state record) and thebroad jump state titles. In 1960, he broke two Oregon junior AAU championship records with a 120-yardhigh hurdles of 13.9 seconds and 19.3 seconds in the 180-yardlow hurdles. Renfro also collected 32 points outscoring every team except one, recording the state record with a 24.1broad jump and winning thelow hurdles,high hurdles and the half-mile relay team.[4] He was named outstanding athlete in theGolden West Invitational track meet, which brought annually the nation's top high school seniors. He wasTrack and Field News "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1960.[5]
In 1983, Renfro was inducted into theOregon Sports Hall of Fame. In 1995, he was inducted into theNational High School Hall of Fame.[6]
In 1960, Renfro enrolled at theUniversity of Oregon inEugene, where he excelled for thetrack team and as a two-wayfootball player, anAll-Americanhalfback anddefensive back.[7] In football, he earned All-Coast recognition three times and is one of only two two-timeAll-Americans (Steve Barnett is the other player) in university history. He is also the second two-sport All-American in university history, the first one wasGeorge Shaw in football andbaseball.
In 1992, Renfro was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame.
From the start of his sophomore season, Renfro received recognition as one of the best and most completerunning backs incollege football, being able to run inside or outside, catch, block and playspecial teams. In 1963, he was even named the team's backupquarterback.
One of Renfro's best collegiate games took place againstRice atHouston in1962. Renfro shone on both offense and defense, leading the Ducks to a 31–12 victory on October 13.[8]Rice Stadium had been a whites-only facility prior to the Ducks' visit, but university officials allowed Renfro's family to enter and sit in a special section of the stadium near the 35-yard line. According to a contemporary account in theRegister-Guard, when Renfro left the game, he was given a loud and appreciative ovation by the Rice crowd.[8][9]
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,[10] 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 theCollege Football Hall of Fame and is a member ofThe Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C., a National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll. He is considered to be the bestrunning back in the history of the University of Oregon, other thanLaMichael James.
From 1960 through 1965, the Oregon's men's track and field team led by coachBill Bowerman was one of the best in the United States. In 1962, Renfro contributed to the university's firstNCAA team championship by finishing second behind teammateJerry Tarr in the 120-yard (110 m) high hurdles with a 13.8 time and third in thelong jump with a 25'-11¼" (7.905 m) leap.[11]
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,Mike Gaechter andHarry Jerome. At the end of the year, he was named to the All-American track and field team in thehigh hurdles and thebroad jump.
In 1963, Renfro injured his knee on a foulbroad jump in the NCAA Championships. In the same meet at Albuquerque, despite the injury, he entered thehigh hurdles but failed to qualify.[12]
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Renfro was drafted in the second round of the1964 NFL draft, 17th overall, by theDallas Cowboys. The selection delayed the draft for six hours, while the Cowboys sent a doctor to check an injury he suffered on his wrist.[13]
Although Renfro had won many accolades as arunning back and at the time, teams put their best athletes on the offensive side of the ball,Tom Landry, looking to build a dominating defense, decided to start him atsafety. As a rookie, Renfro had an impressive season by leading the team with seven interceptions, the NFL in both punt return and kickoff return yardage (including a franchise-record 273 total return yards against theGreen Bay Packers) and culminated his great campaign with an invitation to thePro Bowl. The 30 yards per kick-off return average he posted in his second year (1965) still remains a franchise record.
In1966, despite Renfro coming off anAll-Pro season atsafety, the Cowboys named him their startinghalfback in an effort to improve its offense. He was injured in the opening game against theNew York Giants and replaced byDan Reeves, who was so impressive that Renfro was moved back to defense when he returned to action and would end up being named to theAll-Pro team again.
Renfro was switched tocornerback in his fifth season. The speedy Renfro (4.65 40-yd dash[citation needed]) became an exceptional threat towide receivers, leading the NFL with 10 interceptions in1969. Renfro was selected to thePro Bowl in each of his first ten seasons in the league, including fiveAll-Pro selections in1964,1965,1969,1971 and1973.[14] He was named the offensive MVP of the1971 Pro Bowl for his two punt returntouchdowns.[15]
In his 14 seasons, Renfrointercepted 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 the1970NFC Championship Game, Renfro had a key interception that led to the Cowboys' game-winning touchdown over theSan Francisco 49ers that helped them get toSuper Bowl V, where they lost to theBaltimore Colts, 16–13. In an enduring image from the game afterJim O'Brien's game-winning kick, Renfro put his face in his hands in disappointment. Dallas returned inSuper Bowls VI,X, andXII, Renfro's last NFL game, a Cowboys' 27–10 victory over theDenver Broncos. He remains the Cowboys' all-time leader in interceptions with 52 (In1969 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 theDallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1981 and was elected to thePro 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 manBob Hayes, many experts still considered him the best athlete on the team.
In1984, Renfro coached the defensive secondary underJohn Hadl with theLos Angeles Express of theUnited States Football League (USFL). In1986 he was part ofGene StallingsSt. Louis Cardinals coaching staff as hisdefensive backs coach.
In the early 1980s, Renfro had financial and legal challenges.[16] He currently works as a motivational speaker. Renfro has four children. He was married to Patricia Renfro through his entire career.