Robert Khayat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 15th chancellor of the University of Mississippi | |
| In office July 1, 1995 – June 15, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | R. Gerald Turner |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1938-04-18)April 18, 1938 (age 87) Moss Point, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Education | University of Mississippi |
| Football career | |
| No. 60 | |
| Position | Placekicker |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Mississippi |
| NFL draft | 1960: 6th round, 69 (by theCleveland Browns)th overall pick |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
Operations | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats atPro Football Reference | |
Robert Conrad Khayat (born April 18, 1938) is an American former academic administrator andfootball player who was the 15thchancellor of theUniversity of Mississippi. He played football professionally as aplacekicker,guard, andcenter for theWashington Redskins of theNational Football League (NFL).
Khayat playedcollege football for theOle Miss Rebels and was selected in the sixth round of the1960 NFL draft. He played for the Washington for three seasons, earning aPro Bowl selection in 1960. After his football career, Khayat became a lawyer. He was appointed chancellor of the University of Mississippi in 1995.
Khayat was born inMoss Point, Mississippi, toLebanese parents. His family attended aMethodist church where they sat in the back due to racial discrimination.[1] He attendedMoss Point High School and theUniversity of Mississippi. He received both Bachelor of Arts andJuris Doctor degrees from the University of Mississippi. He also played football for theOle Miss Rebels football team from 1957 to 1959.[2] He also received an LL.M. degree fromYale University.
Khayat was selected by theCleveland Browns in the1960 NFL draft.[3][4] He was then traded to the Washington Redskins along with linemanFran O'Brien in April 1960 for veteran kickerSam Baker.[5]
Khayat played for the Redskins during the 1960, 1962, and 1963 seasons. Following the 1960 season, he was named to thePro Bowl squad.[6] He appeared in a total of 40 NFL games and kicked 38 field goals and 90 extra points.[3]
His brotherEddie Khayat also played and coached in the NFL.[2]
Khayat later became a lawyer and taught law at theUniversity of Mississippi School of Law.[7]
He was appointed chancellor in 1995. In one of his first acts as chancellor, Khayat arranged for a $5.4 million gift fromJim and Sally Barksdale to establish an honors college at the university. In 1996, with enrollment declining, Khayat retained the public relations firm, Burson-Marsteller, to conduct a survey of public perception — including university symbols. WhenThe New York Times reported on the review, which included the Confederate Flag and other Old South symbols, a media frenzy ensued.
On January 6, 2009, Khayat announced his retirement effective June 30, 2009.[8] He was succeeded byDaniel Jones on June 15, 2009.
Khayat's memoir,The Education of a Lifetime, was published on September 10, 2013.