Editing Bob Hayes (section)

===2009 induction===
On August 27, 2008, Hayes was named as one of two senior candidates for the 2009 Hall of Fame election.<ref>[http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/story.jsp?story_id=2816 Enshrinement » Class of '09 senior candidates] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080903085641/http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/story.jsp?story_id=2816 |date=September 3, 2008}}. Profootballhof.com. Retrieved on May 30, 2015.</ref> On Saturday, January 31, 2009, he was selected as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2009.<ref name="profootballhof.com"/>

The next day Lucille Hester, who claimed to be Hayes's sister,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Frenette|first=Gene|title=Hayes' Hall saga now soap opera|url=https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20090204/news/801240033|access-date=October 17, 2020|website=The Florida Times-Union|language=en|archive-date=October 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019030827/https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20090204/news/801240033|url-status=dead}}</ref> released a letter she said he had drafted three years before he died, on October 29, 1999, in case he did not live to see his induction. Its full text read:

<blockquote>You know I am not sure I am going to be around if I get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame so you must read this for me, I am not sure, I guess I am feeling sorry for myself at this time but you must remember everything I want you to do and say. Mother said you would do what I want because you always did. So read this for me.

I would like to thank everyone who supported me to get into the NFL Hall of Fame, the Dallas Cowboys organization, all of my team mates and everyone who played for the Cowboys, (thank the San Francisco 49rs {{sic}} too). Thank the fans all around the country and the world, thank the committee who voted for me and also the ones who may did not vote for me, thank Mother and my family, thank Roger Stauback {{sic}} and tell all my teammates I love them dearly.

Thank the Pro Football Hall of Fame, all the NFL teams and players, Florida A&M University, thank everyone who went to Mathew {{sic}} Gilbert High School, thank everyone in Jacksonville and Florida and everyone especially on the East Side of Jacksonville. Thank everyone in the City of Dallas and in Texas and just thank everyone in the whole world.

I love you all.</blockquote>

Delivered by Hester in front of hundreds and a national cable television audience, the moment was described as "... one of the most compelling and touching scenes the Hall of Fame has seen."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/2009/01/31/2009-01-31_late_receiver_bob_hayes_sister_reads_tha-2.html | location=New York | work=Daily News | title=Late receiver Bob Hayes' sister reads thank-you letter to Hall of Fame | first=Gary | last=Myers | date=January 31, 2009}}</ref> Shortly after, it was discovered that the supposedly signed letter was printed in the [[Calibri]] font, which was not released to the public until five years after Hayes' death.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Townsend |first1=Brad |title=Letter purportedly from former Dallas Cowboy Hayes under more scrutiny |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/020509dnspocowhayes.9a30e7.html |access-date=26 November 2024 |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |date=February 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116001003/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/020509dnspocowhayes.9a30e7.html |archive-date=2010-01-16}}</ref> Some family members disputed Lucille Hester's claim to be related to Bob, and took steps to ensure she was not part of the Hall of Fame ceremony.<ref>[http://dal.scout.com/2/835595.html Dallas Cowboys NFL Football Front Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204052000/http://dal.scout.com/2/835595.html |date=February 4, 2009 }}. Dal.scout.com (May 5, 2015). Retrieved on May 30, 2015.</ref><ref>Fisher, Mike. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090418163010/http://dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=1291 Is Bob Hayes' 'Sister' Conning The Cowboys, The Hall Of Fame And The NFL?] Dallas Basketball</ref>

On August 8, 2009, Hayes was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [[Roger Staubach]], Hayes' Dallas Cowboy teammate, along with Hayes' son Bob Hayes Jr., unveiled the bust, which was sculpted by [[Scott Myers]]. On hand were six members of Bob's Gilbert High School championship team.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120904025047/http://www.jacksonville.com/sports/columnists/gene_frenette/2009-08-09/story/bob_hayes_finally_crosses_finish_line_in_canton Bob Hayes finally crosses finish line in Canton]. jacksonville.com. August 9, 2009.</ref> He was later inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame, Class of 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ttfca2.wixsite.com/txtfhalloffame/inductees |title=Txtfhalloffame |access-date=January 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116170038/http://ttfca2.wixsite.com/txtfhalloffame/inductees |archive-date=January 16, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>