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Olympic sprinter, NFL wide receiver Jim Hines dies

Before there was a Hines Ward, there was another Hines that dominated the sports world.

Jim Hines was an Olympic sprinter and wide receiver who played with the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs after his track career ended, The Associated Press reported.

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Hines died Saturday at the age of 76, the AP reported. No cause of death was released. His death was initially announced by USA Track and Field.

Hines was born in Arkansas but raised in Oakland, California, before he attended Texas Southern University. His father was a construction worker and his mother worked in a cannery, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas and The New York Times.

Hines grew up focusing on baseball and football more than running but he impressed the high school track coach and was asked to join the team, the Times reported.

He ran track at Texas Southern University and was drafted by the Dolphins in 1968, despite the fact that he had not played football since high school, according to the newspaper. He delayed signing to be able to compete in the Olympics.

Hines qualified for the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City, setting a world record of 9.95 seconds in the 100 meters to win the gold. He also was part of the 4x100 relay team that won gold.

Hines’ record stood for 15 years until Calvin Smith broke it. It is currently held by Usain Bolt for his 2009 world championship run in Berlin, in which he clocked only 9.58 seconds, the AP reported.

After Hines hung up his running shoes, he became a wide receiver in the NFL, but that career was short-lived. He played only 10 games — nine with Miami and one with Kansas City — over two years, with two receptions for 23 yards, according to Pro Football Reference. He also had a single kick return for 22 yards for Miami.

After his sports career, Hines started working with inner-city kids in Houston, USA Track and Field reported.

Hines was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Texas Southern University Hall of Fame in 1986, CNN reported.