One of the greatest names in our state's athletic history, Mel Renfro (born December 30, 1941) established himself as a standout in high school and went on to greatness at the University of Oregon and the NFL.
Renfro grew up in Portland and attended Jefferson High, where he starred in football and track and field. With Renfro catching passes from quarterback and future Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker, the Democrats won the state title in 1957 and 1958. Following Baker’s graduation, the Demos lost to Medford, 7-6, in the 1959 title game, the final of Renfro’s high school career.
Renfro had also established himself as a track star, having won the 180-yard low hurdles at the 1959 state meet. As a senior, Renfro won the low hurdles, 120 high hurdles and long jump to power Jefferson to the team title.
Renfro played three seasons at Oregon (1961-63) as both a defensive back and running back, winning All-America honors at both positions. In his career, he rushed for 1,540 yards and led the Ducks in scoring each season. As a senior, he won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top running back and helped the Ducks finish 8-3 and play in the Sun Bowl. Renfro is still among the Oregon career leaders in all-purpose yardage.
In 1962, he finished second in the high hurdles and third in the long jump to help the Ducks win the NCAA Track and Field Championship. He ran a leg on the 440-yard relay team that set a world record at 40.0 seconds.
The Dallas Cowboys selected him in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft, and he played 14 seasons for the team as a defensive back. Renfro excelled on special teams returning kicks for several seasons, but played primarily as a cornerback, eventually establishing a franchise record for interceptions with 52.
In his 14 seasons, he was named to the Pro Bowl ten times and All-Pro five times. Renfro played in the Super Bowl four times with the Cowboys winning twice. Renfro was the fifth Dallas player inducted into the Ring of Honor at Cowboys Stadium.
Mel Renfro is a member of the PIL, University of Oregon, College Football and National High School halls of fame. He was enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame in 1996.