Career
Floyd attended the University of Houston where he studied for a degree in communications. There he hoped to train towards Olympic success - originally he was aiming for 1984 not 1980 - before turning to American football to earn fame and fortune. He originally attended Auburn University, but left after a year.
In 1980 achieved the best time globally in the 100 metres, at 10.07 s. This time improved the World junior record (the record of Mel Lattany from 1978).
Floyd won the 100 m at the USA Olympic Trials but would not get to compete because of the boycott. He had already won the NCAA and USA National Championships in the men's 100 metres. This was a triplet of wins last achieved 24 years previously in 1956 by Bobby Morrow.
It is debatable whether Floyd would have beaten the eventual champion Alan Wells at the Olympics. He had the faster time for the year and in post-Olympic meetings he beat Wells by 2 to 1. However, Wells won the psychologically important first meeting in Cologne and clearly suffered from declining form as his long season ended.
In 1981, Floyd became United States champion indoors at 60 y. Later in the year outdoors, Floyd was second in the US National Championships at 100 metres. He was thus reserve at the 1981 Athletics World Cup to Carl Lewis, and even warmed-up for the event in case Lewis was injured competing in the long jump, whose start preceded the 100 m scheduled run time by only 40 minutes. In the end he wasn't required to run, but in retrospect maybe he should have because Lewis was injured in the race and finished last.
He had a scintillating 1982 indoor season, establishing world records at 50 yards ( 5.22 s), 60 yards (6.09 s), and 55 metres (6.10 s). Floyd's top performance in the 100 m occurred on June 5, 1982 when winning the 182 NCAA 100 m title in Provo, Utah where he clocked 10.03. This is still the NCAA meet record.
Floyd in 1983 retired from athletics to try his luck at American football in the National Football League (NFL). At the time he has stated he felt he lacked the necessary motivation required to continue his sprinting career and try for another Olympics.
He achieved little success with American football - he was dropped by the Atlanta Falcons, then by the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League (USFL), and then failed to make the cut with the Houston Oilers. So in 1987 he successfully fought for the right to run again as an athlete.
After retiring again from athletics, Floyd is reported to have become a police officer. He is now retired from the police service.
Read more about this topic: Stanley Floyd
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