Matthew Golden has only been with Green Bay for a few months, but the first-round pick is already turning heads; and picking up a nickname with historic weight.
Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia has started calling Golden “Bullet,” a nod to Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist Bob Hayes.
Golden, who also wears No. 22 like Hayes did with the Cowboys, embraced the comparison after looking up Hayes’ legendary speed and dual-sport success.
“He told me to look him up,” Golden said, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “I seen he was real fast, so he gave me that nickname.”
Known as “Bullet Bob,” Hayes was one of the fastest men in football history. A gold medalist in the 100 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he later became a deep threat for the Dallas Cowboys and helped revolutionize the wide receiver position with his track-star speed. He remains the only athlete to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
So far, Golden has lived up to the nickname. The rookie wideout caught a touchdown during Green Bay’s opening training camp session and followed it up with a strong showing Thursday, snatching a pass in traffic before breaking away from defenders.
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The early impact isn’t going unnoticed. Golden, who caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns during his lone season at Texas, has already taken first-team reps and drawn praise from veteran coaches and teammates alike. He enters a crowded Packers receiver room that includes Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed, but his speed and explosiveness give him a real shot at climbing the depth chart.
Golden became the Packers’ first receiver drafted in the first round since 2002, a move that underscored how highly the team views his potential. NFL.com gave him a 6.42 draft grade; higher than the mark Davante Adams received in 2014. Golden is now Green Bay’s highest-paid receiver by annual value after signing a fully guaranteed rookie deal worth $17.57 million.
