Track and field sensation Noah Lyles has opened up about the pivotal career decisions that shaped his journey to the top — and the challenges he faced along the way.
In a recent interview with Glenn Cole, Founder & Chairman of 72andSunny, the Olympic gold medalist reflected on his early rise, difficult choices, and a system he believes wasn’t built to support athletes like him at the time.
Lyles, whose breakthrough came at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials while still in high school, stunned the track world when he clocked 20.04 seconds in the 200m prelims and followed it with 20.09s in the final, breaking a 31-year-old national high school record. Despite placing fourth overall, his performances marked the arrival of a generational sprint talent.
At just 18, Lyles faced a career-defining choice: take up a scholarship at the University of Florida, or turn professional.
“Oh, I couldn’t have gone to college,” Lyles admitted.
“I was signed to the University of Florida, but deep in my heart, I was planning to turn pro.”
He and his younger brother, Josephus Lyles, who was also a top sprint prospect, became the first male high school sprinters in U.S. history to skip college and sign professional contracts directly out of high school. In July 2016, just weeks before they were set to report to the University of Florida, both brothers signed eight-year deals with Adidas.
Recalling the conversation with their coach Rashawn Jackson, Lyles noted the disbelief.
“He heard it, but he didn’t hear it, right?” Lyles explained.
“Me and my brother were the first males to ever do it in the U.S. So hearing that from two high schoolers, it’s like, well, others have tried, so I don’t want to say no, but… good luck.”
This move came five years before the NCAA’s landmark Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy, which took effect in 2021, allowing collegiate athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorships without risking their eligibility.
“We didn’t have NIL back then,” Lyles reflected.
Born in Gainesville, Florida, and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, Lyles grew up in a track-centric family, both his parents were collegiate sprinters. Despite battling asthma from age three, as well as dyslexia and attention disorders, he found solace in track at age 12, inspired by the 2012 Olympics.
Lyles’ junior career was decorated with titles and records. At 17, he captured gold in the 200m at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, clocking 20.71s. In 2015, Track & Field News named him High School Boys Athlete of the Year after dominating the sprints and high jump.
By early 2016, Lyles was a national force, setting meet records at the Arcadia Invitational with 10.17s in the 100m and 20.48s in the 200m, followed by a 10.08s victory at the USA Junior Championships. His explosive performances culminated at the Olympic Trials, the moment that would change his life forever.
