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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.
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. He graduated from Louisville's Central Colored High School (Central High School) in 1954, six years before boxing great Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) graduated from the same school in 1960.
The school holds a track and field meet named after Lyles. In 1989, he was inducted into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's Hall of Fame.
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. As a freshman, he was 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 190 pounds (86.2 kg).
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.
In 1955, Lyles rushed for 780 yards in 101 attempts, and caught six passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns. He also had four interceptions. His 84 points for the season was a then school record. In a game against Toledo, he had 247 rushing yards and 24 points, both school records at the time (and sixth most as of 2025). 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.
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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.
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. He graduated from Louisville's Central Colored High School (Central High School) in 1954, six years before boxing great Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) graduated from the same school in 1960.
The school holds a track and field meet named after Lyles. In 1989, he was inducted into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's Hall of Fame.
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. As a freshman, he was 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 190 pounds (86.2 kg).
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.
In 1955, Lyles rushed for 780 yards in 101 attempts, and caught six passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns. He also had four interceptions. His 84 points for the season was a then school record. In a game against Toledo, he had 247 rushing yards and 24 points, both school records at the time (and sixth most as of 2025). 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.