Somewhere between Milli Vanilli, Rosie Ruiz, Criss Angel and Dennis Green's "They are who we thought they were," something smells fraudy. Or, as the old Florida A&M college buddy and former business manager of newly minted Pro Football Hall of Fame member Bob Hayes says of Lucille Hester: "She's a fake. A total perpetrator. She's hoodwinked the Dallas Cowboys, the NFL, the Hall of Fame and the national media. But she isn't a member of the Hayes family. And she's about to be exposed." Before the accolades, tributes and "better late than never"s finished trickling in, Ted McIntosh is lampooning Hayes' Saturday induction to the Hall of Fame. Not on the player's merit, of course. But on the prominent role played by Hayes' "sister", Hester. Presenting herself as Hayes' older sibling, Lucille served as the deceased receiver's spokesperson over the weekend in Tampa, even producing and reading a letter she claimed Hayes wrote in her presence in 1999. McIntosh, however, says Hester's assertions - right down to the letter - are counterfeit. McIntosh acknowledges that Hester grew up "a block and a half" from the Hayes' house in Jacksonville, Fla. That, however, is where he says the lies begin. According to McIntosh, Hester only became "close" to Hayes on his death bed and later drew up a falsified will after his death in 2002, presenting paperwork that supposedly had Hayes leaving her his Super Bowl ring and Olympic gold medal. "The good news is that Bob's next of kin, Bob Hayes, Jr., has possession of those priceless items," McIntosh said. "But that didn't stop her from trying to steal and exploit his name for personal gain." Hester was in Tampa this week - site of yesterday's dramatic Super Bowl XLIII - trumpeting Hayes' Hall of Fame candidacy, then rejoicing and reading upon his coronation. McIntosh, who lives in Dallas, said the Hayes family was shocked and moved to action by her latest attempt to hijack Bob's legacy.
Dallas Observer
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