Trivia

After retiring from track, he ran a sugar-cane farm and woodworking business in Texas.

He was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, beating out Mickey Mantle, who had won the triple crown of hitting, and Don Larsen, who pitched the only perfect game in World Series history. He received the AAU's James E. Sullivan Award in 1957 as the USA's outstanding amateur athlete.

From 1956 to 1958, he won all the major sprinting titles for which he competed, topped off by three gold medals at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia -- 100 meter dash, 200 m, and 4x100 m relay. He competed in the Olympics as a 21-year-old student at Abilene Christian College. He set 14 world records during his track career.