Lenny Lyles

Leonard Everett Lyles (January 26, 1936 – November 20, 2011) was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He started in Super Bowl III for the Baltimore Colts. Lyles played college football for the Louisville Cardinals and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 1958 NFL draft. He was the first player in NFL history to return two kickoffs for over 100 yards in a single season.

Early life Lenny Lyles was born on January 26, 1936, in Nashville, Tennessee. His family moved to Kentucky when he was three, and he was raised in "Smoke Town" on the east end of Louisville; growing up in a segregated society. In 1989, he was inducted into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's Hall of Fame.

College career

Lyles was recruited by coach Frank Camp of the University of Louisville in 1954, when he broke the school's color barrier for scholarship athletes (though Lyles himself has said that the first athlete to break the color barrier at Louisville was Larry Simmons). Coach Camp convinced Lyles to come to Louisville by explaining this would create the opportunity for other black athletes to come and play on the team as well.

Lyles was blessed with sprinters' speed, timed at 9.5 seconds in the 100-yard dash. He was also timed at 9.4 seconds, when the world record holder was Mel Patton at 9.3. Future teammate Johnny Sample, who was a college contemporary of Lyles, said Lyles was faster than anyone else when running in full football gear, including Olympian Bob Hayes.

When Lyles was a freshman on Louisville's football team his quarterback was a senior, future Hall of fame great Johnny Unitas; who would also be Lyles's teammate on the Baltimore Colts. Even though a senior, Unitas visited the freshman Lyles's home in Louisville and had meals with his family, and once smuggled Lyles into a segregated drive-in movie. Lyles rushed for 1,207 yards in 1957, leading the nation. In a game against Eastern Kentucky, he had 169 yards in only eight carries (21.1 yards per attempt); and in a game against Murray State, Lyles returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown. The 1957 Cardinals had a 9–1 record, including a victory in the 1958 Sun Bowl (a 34–20 win over Drake University), played in January of that year. He was named a Little All-American in 1957.

Lyles is Louisville's third all-time scoring leader for a non-kicker with 300 points (only behind Malik Cunningham and Lamar Jackson as of 2025). As of 2025, his 2,786 rushing yards is fifth most in school history. His 9.7 yards per rushing attempt in 1957, and 7.7 yards per attempt in 1955, are the top two rushing averages in school history, and his 7.04 career rushing average is first. His 18 touchdowns in 1957 stood as a school record for more than 40 years. Lyles credits Louisville track coach Clark Wood with shaping his life.

He was inducted into the Cardinals Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978. In 2000, a life-size bronze statue of Lyles was unveiled outside of Cardinal Park in Louisville.

Professional football As a pro, Lyles was 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 202 pounds (92 kg). As a rookie he made his mark with the World Champion Colts as a kickoff returner, racking up touchdown returns of 103 yards against the Chicago Bears and 101 yards against the Washington Redskins. This was the first time in NFL history a player had returned two kickoffs for over 100 yards in a single season. The 1958 sudden death championship game against the New York Giants was the game he most remembered in his career. He returned two kickoffs that day, and made sure he did not fumble.

There were great expectations of Lyles, even as a rookie, and he had trouble relaxing on the Colts. was the Colts player who made an extra effort to work with Lyles, and was a person who had no manner of racial bias in how he treated people - a rarity in the racially segregated and divisive times in Baltimore, the country, and at times on the team. Lyles played in all 12 Colts games, but he only had 22 rushing attempts and five pass receptions to go along with his 11 returned kickoffs for 398 yards (36.2 yards per return).

He was originally embittered and even wanted revenge against the Colts when he later played against them. After these antics, and his earlier time in Baltimore, he held some uncertainty on returning to the Colts, but his confidence was boosted by team leader and future hall of famer Gino Marchetti, who told him "'Lyles, the team made a mistake. I’m sure glad you’re back'". For the first time, he genuinely believed the Colts wanted him.

He would remain in Baltimore until the end of his career in 1969, starting six of 14 games,

Lyles finished his professional career with 2,161 return yards and averaged 26.7 yards per return. He had 16 career interceptions with the Colts. His other business ventures included developing the Lyles Mall in Louisville, and the Lyles Plaza.