Lester Hayes
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
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| Date of birth: | January 22, 1955 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Houston, Texas | ||||||||
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| High school: | Houston (TX) Wheatley | ||||||||
| College: | Texas A&M | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1977 / Round: 5 / Pick: 126 | ||||||||
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Lester Craig Hayes (born January 22, 1955) is a former professional American football player for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League.
Hayes was commonly referred to as "the Judge" and also as "Lester the Molester" because of his Bump and run coverage.[1] A big Star Wars fan, during pregame interviews for Super Bowl XVIII he declared himself the "only true Jedi" in the NFL.[2] He was also known for using Stickum before it was banned in 1981 in a rule bearing his name. He had a distinct stance, as exemplified on his photo on the Raiders' home page,[3] crouching very low when facing the opposing wide receiver.
College
In college, he became an All-American Safety at Texas A&M.
Oakland Raiders
Hayes was converted to cornerback after being chosen by the Raiders in the fifth round of the 1977 draft. Hayes helped lead the Raiders to two Super Bowl wins (1980, 1983), and was a five-time Pro Bowler (1980–1984).
He was known as one of the greatest shutdown cornerbacks in NFL history. In 1980, Hayes led the NFL with 13 interceptions, tied for second most with Dan Sandifer, who had set it in 1948, and behind Dick "Night Train" Lane with 14 in 1952, and was named AP Defensive Player of the Year and the NEA Defensive Player of the Year.
His best performance was probably in Super Bowl XVIII. He had only one tackle, but that was because he so effectively covered Charlie Brown and Art Monk that Joe Theismann hardly threw to the left side of the field.[4] During his last four seasons, he formed a partnership with Mike Haynes that has been considered one of the best in league history. Hayes and Haynes gave the Raiders the luxury of having two shutdown corners. They are widely reckoned as being the prototypes for a generation of speedy and physical cornerbacks.[5]
He retired after the 1986 season with a total of 39 interceptions, a Raider record shared with Hall of Famer Willie Brown.
Stickum controversy
Stickum is a sticky adhesive substance that was introduced to Hayes when he was a rookie in 1977 by Hall of Fame wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff. However, instead of just applying a small amount to his hands to help him hold on to the football, Hayes started slathering it all over his arms and even on his uniform, drawing more and more attention to it.
In 1980, Hayes was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year after he intercepted 13 passes during the regular season and five more in the playoffs as the Raiders went on to win Super Bowl XV. A year later in 1981, the NFL banned stickum from the league, and it has remained banned since then.[6]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Super Bowl by the Bay, p.51, (c)1984 by Bohn & Bland Publishers, Inc.
- ↑ http://www.raidersonline.org/lester-hayes.php
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Professional Football Researchers Association explanation of "The Lester Hayes Rule".
- [1] Hayes Now Leads the Quiet Life.
- NFL player using deprecated currentteam parameter
- NFL player with pastcoaching parameter
- NFL player with pastexecutive parameter
- Infobox NFL player with debut/final parameters
- 1955 births
- Living people
- African-American players of American football
- American Conference Pro Bowl players
- American football cornerbacks
- American football safeties
- Texas A&M Aggies football players
- Oakland Raiders players
- Los Angeles Raiders players
- Players of American football from Texas
- Sportspeople from Houston, Texas
- Sportspeople from Modesto, California
- Super Bowl champions
