Trent Cole—Underrated

By John Turney 

Looking at Trent Cole's stats may surprise some folks. Sure, they knew about the sacks, 90.5 in his career, but the more interesting and likely surprising number rate his run stuffs (70.5). Sure, a tackle for a loss (stuff) is not as glamorous as a quarterback sack but they are still big plays—putting a team behind the sticks matters. 

We've posted on this before but sacks, stuffs, touchdown passes are all skewed in some way. With a sack or stuff one guy could cause the play and another can get the tackle for loss (stuff) or the sack. Same with a touchdown pass, a quarterback can throw a shot pass, even a bad pass and a great play by a receiver can take it to the house. You get it.

Stuffs are not as known so folks may not be familiar with what is good and what is not a good number. For a defensive end an excellent year is 10, average maybe 5 or so. Nick Webster's work on this stat gives up parameters to be able to assess what is a good year to a career and 70.5 is a good number, not stellar, not like Bruce Smith's 116 (our high number for a defensive end) but Smith, of course, played 19 seasons—but 70.5 is good, especially for someone who is getting a lot of pressure, i.e. it's hard to do both. 

Using Football Outsider's 'hits and hurries" data it's clear that Cole got good pressure on the quarterback and got the sacks and made stuffs. Cole's "peak" was not tremendously long, call it 2006-11 but he was reliable and steady. 

Cole was as quick as anyone off the ball and defined the term 'relentless' and bulked up to 270 from his 236-pound weigh-in at his pro day. Speaking of his pro day he ran a 4.7 and a vertical leap of 38, a long jump of just over ten feet and his short shuttle was 4.22 and his three-cone was an impressive 6.98. 

So, today we just wanted to remind folks of Trent Cole who went to just two Pro Bowls that he likely deserved a couple more. He was very good and in our view, underrated. 

Career stats—

 Here is a clip of Cole playing in a likely run situation—

Hesitation swipe of outside arm, then dip to the QB—

An inside spin—

Repeating a Title as Super Bowl Champions

LOOKING BACK

By Joe Zagorski 

Why is it so difficult for teams in this day and age to repeat as Super Bowl Champions? It rarely happens more than once every one and a half to two decades anymore. But in the glorious decade of the 1970s, two different teams accomplished the feat, and one of them managed to do it twice! Why is there such a disparity for the difference between then and now? Is there more than just one reason? 

The most reasonable place to try to answer this question is to go back to the wonderful pro football decade of the 1970s, where winning more than just one Super Bowl was much more common than the current decade. In 1972, the Miami Dolphins achieved the unexpected, a perfect 17-0 season and a Super Bowl VII victory. 

If you ask any members of that team, to a man, they would say that the 1973 Miami team was even a better team than what they were in their undefeated season of 1972. The ’73 Dolphins managed to lose twice during the regular season. And they had a tougher schedule of opponents in 1973 than they had in 1972. But the ’73 Dolphins repeated to win Super Bowl VIII.  They were thus the first team since the 1967 Green Bay Packers to repeat as world champions. 

How did they do it? Well, the one thing that head coach Don Shula insisted on was for his team to play mistake-free football.  And they did that better than anyone else. Their defense in 1973 gave up only 150 points, which was the best mark in the entire league, and which was 21 fewer points than what the No-Name Defense surrendered in the previous year...the undefeated year.

 Miami made the most of their opportunities throughout the ’73 season. They played smart football.  They did not allow the league standings or their opponents dictate how they played the game. The Dolphins offensive line also did not get flagged for an abundance of holding penalties. 

Shula believed that holding penalties stopped scoring drives even better than opposing defenses on many occasions. By limiting those penalties, Miami’s offense could continue their numerous scoring drives. In short, the Dolphins played the way that Shula wanted them to play…mistake-free, which gave them a second straight world title.

A couple of years later, the Pittsburgh Steelers were facing the same challenge. They were built a little differently than Miami. The Steelers made great use of the annual college draft and built their roster up to include numerous future Hall of Famers at many different positions. Pittsburgh’s defense was the most impressive part of their team in 1974, when they captured their first world title. 

Their defense was very good in 1975 also, but it was really their offense that improved much more than their offense in 1974.  The Steelers were strong in 1974, but they did suffer from occasional letdowns. They peaked at exactly the right time, especially their defense against opposing rushing attacks.  They permitted only a meager amount of ground yards to all three of their postseason foes in ’74…the Bills, the Raiders and the Vikings in Super Bowl IX. 

In 1975, however, the Steelers limited those letdowns from the previous year to a much smaller amount. True, their opponents played them tough, but the Steelers just proved that they were tougher.  They swept all of their divisional games, which allowed them to win the AFC Central division with only a limited challenge from Cincinnati. In the 1975 AFC Title Game, both the Raiders and the Steelers made numerous mistakes. 

The difference was that Pittsburgh was able to take advantage of more of Oakland’s miscues, which was enough for a Steeler win. In Super Bowl X, it took everything that Pittsburgh had in order for them to beat the tougher than expected wildcard Dallas Cowboys.  In this game, it was their character and their refusal to fold which led the way to a 21-17 comeback win for the Steelers, their second straight world championship.

A few years later, the Steelers once again were the defending world champions, having beaten Dallas again, in Super Bowl XIII. But how would they repeat? The pro game had undergone many different rules changes in the previous year, and even though Pittsburgh was able to adapt to those new rules better than any other NFL team, they still faced an enormous challenge in 1979. 

If there was ever a team during the decade that would suffer from complacency, it would be the 1979 Steelers.  Furthermore, in that season, Pittsburgh’s offense committed an incredible number of turnovers. Their quarterbacks threw a total of 26 interceptions, and they fumbled the ball 26 times, the greatest number of fumbles in the league. A grand total of 52 turnovers. Now to be fair, the Steelers had quite a few newer players and rookies handling the ball in 1979, which might explain the high number of turnovers. 

You could tell that this 1979 Pittsburgh team just was not as dominant as those of previous years heading into the postseason. Yet they managed to beat Miami in the divisional playoffs. Then thanks to a controversial call, they managed to beat Houston again in the AFC Title Game. In Super Bowl XIV, the Los Angeles Rams gave them one heck of a fight before finally bowing to Pittsburgh’s overall experience and the wide receiving prowess of John Stallworth.

So the 1970s saw its share of champion repeaters, much more so than the teams of today. The overall verdict? The teams of that previous era were seemingly just built stronger than today’s teams. They managed to keep their roster of veteran players intact for the most part during the 1970s. They were also able to take advantage of whatever situation befell them better than today’s teams. 

Will the 2022 Los Angeles Rams be able to duplicate what the 1973 Miami Dolphins, and the 1975 and 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers did? Only time will tell.

**********************

Joe Zagorski is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) and the Pro Football Researchers Association (PFRA).  He was the 2021 winner of the PFRA’s Nelson Ross Award for Pro Football Research and Historiography.  He has written four books on pro football and is almost finished writing his fifth book.  He has also written one screenplay about a couple of early pro teams in the coal region of Pennsylvania.  

Kevin Williams—Half the 'Williams Wall'

 By John Turney 

Because of an odd series of events at the 2003 NFL Draft, Kevin Williams became a Viking. In the first round, the Vikings didn't get their draft card turned in in time because they thought they had a trade. In the meantime, teams leaped in front of them because they are allowed to do that if someone "passes". It was possible that the Vikings could have lost their guy (Williams) in the confusion.

Regardless, the Vikings finally took Williams and it was very fortuitous because he became of the top two or three defensive tackles of his era.

He began as a left end in the base defense, then moved inside in passing situations and then, his sophomore year (2004) he moved to defensive tackle, three-technique to be specific (on the outside shoulder of a guard most of the time). 

Very quick and immovable at the point of attack he anchored the middle of a Viking run defense that steadily improved until it was the best in the NFL, allowing just 985 yards and a 2.8-yard-per-carry average in 2006. In 2007 and 2008 they were almost as good. For the three-year period of 2006-2008 they allowed an average of 1,133 yards a season and a 3.1-yard average. It was as dominating a run defense as we've seen in the last 20 years.

Williams could push the pocket and get pressure on the passer as well, he was a very complete two-way lineman. It was all over for a guard if he beat him with his first move. He was doubled a lot as well. Kevin was an excellent athlete and for his size, he could run well and matched that with great technique, great leverage, and use of his hands to ward off blockers.

He displayed his athleticism very well at the 2003 NFL Combine. Williams, at 304 pounds, ran a 4.84 forty with a 1.67 10-yard split (for comparison Aaron Donald did had a 1.63 10-yard split). Williams also did 23 reps of 225 pounds on the bench and had a 30-inch vertical leap, all excellent for a man his size.

In his career, the Vikings made the playoffs four times with two NFC North titles and appeared in an NFC title game during his time in 2009. 

Williams was not a talker, he went about his business as a three-technique quietly. "If you do good the attention will come," he said. And it did. He made six Pro Bowls and was a five-time consensus All-Pro. 

He had 63.0 career sacks and 60 run stuffs and was credited with 73 passes defended—extremely high for a defensive tackle. If he wasn't hitting the quarterback he was getting his hands up and deflecting passes. 

And according to Viking stats (and Football Outsiders for 2014 and 2015), Williams had 342 "hurries" including two seasons of over 50 (2006 and 2008) so while his sack total was not superlative, he did put interior pressure on passers, he cracked the pocket.

Whatever the numbers the game tape shows how great Williams was—he was special but he cannot get much, if any, support for Canton—so far he's yet to even make the Final 25.

Career stats—

Remembering Ward Cuff, New York Giants All-Around Two-Way Star

LOOKING BACK
By Chris Willis, NFL Films

Ward Cuff, New York Giants, Wingback

     Today PFJ looks back at the career of one of the more underrated players of the two-way era. He was one of the more versatile and dynamic backs of that time, who could do almost everything. His name was Ward Cuff.

     After graduating from Marquette, Cuff was drafted in the 4^th round of the 1937 NFL Draft (34^th overall) by the New York Giants. Cuff was personally scouted by Giants head coach Steve Owen. Although Marquette was led by their All-American halfback Ray Buivid (finished 3^rd in the Heisman ahead of Sammy Baugh) and brothers Art and Al Guepe, Owen’s eyes became fixated on Marquette’s blocking back. He was the man doing all the dirty work, making all the tackles and lead blocking for the star backs. Owen knew he wanted Cuff.    

Ward Cuff, Marquette, circa 1936

      That first training camp coach Owen made it a priority to use Cuff in any way possible. At Marquette Cuff never kicked, but Owen saw something in his prized recruit. So, every day for three weeks Owen drilled Cuff for a half hour in the art of place kicking. He liked what he saw. Owen recalled that first training camp in an article he wrote for Colliers magazine in 1942:

     “Cuff had tremendous leg drive and an excellent sense of balance. I was not too certain about the third necessary qualification but that was speedily discovered when we scrimmaged. Mr. Cuff has nothing but ice water in his veins. Nothing rattles him. He looked like a perfect prospect.”

     The 6-1, 192-pound Cuff played 11 years (110 games) for three teams (Cardinals, Packers) but mainly played his entire career with the New York Giants (9 years). A very durable player that would play through any aliment. “Ward was outstanding as a runner, a receiver, and a defensive halfback. Above all, he was an Iron Man who could play with so many injuries that he often seemed to be taped from head to toe before he put on his uniform,” wrote Steve Owen in his book My Kind of Football (1952).

     On offense, Owen had developed a new offensive system he called the “A” formation. He had the perfect center, Mel Hein, to snap the ball, he had plenty of halfbacks and quarterbacks like Tuffy Leemans, Ed Danowski, Hank Soar, but what he was missing was the wing-back. The man who would go in motion at times to be a decoy, a ball carrier every so often, run pass routes, but mainly his role would be as a lead blocker. Cuff was the man for the job. “Our motto was to keep knocking men down until the whistle blew ending the play,” once said Cuff to the Milwaukee News in 1938. What Owen didn’t know was that Cuff, almost from the start in 1937, was his best receiver, blocker and defensive back.

     Cuff was also very creative off the field. After his rookie year Cuff developed a football board game titled, Ward Cuff’s Football Game. Inside the game was a patent pending booklet, designed by Cuff himself. The game looked to be more detailed and “strategic” then most football board games of the time. A few of the board games have survived today, despite not being mass produced. It was obvious that Cuff loved the game of football.

1938 NFL CHAMPIONSHIP:

     In his second season Cuff helped the Giants win the Eastern Division. He led the team in scoring with 45 points, while helping the defense only surrender a league low 79 points- including only ten points in their final five games.

     In the NFL Championship Game they faced off against the Green Bay Packers (Western champs) at the Polo Grounds. In the first quarter Cuff booted a 14-yard field goal to give the Giants an early 3-0 lead. Then the Packers and Giants started to trade touchdowns as New York took a 16-14 lead into halftime.

     Early in the third quarter the Pack took the lead for the first time, 17-16. Then Ed Danowski hit Hank Soar with a 23-yard scoring strike to give the Giants the lead back at 23-17. In the fourth quarter the Packers had the ball four times, but came close scoring only one time. In the redzone Packers quarterback Arnie Herber connected with Wayland Becker, but Cuff nailed Becker forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Giants Kayo Lunday who returned the ball to their own 22-yard line. The Packers never got closer.

    Cuff was a world champion. Although he was just doing his job, Cuff’s name made plenty of newspaper headlines as the “hero of game.”

ALL-AROUND PLAYER:

    Ward Cuff’s passion for the game always came out in the way he played on the field. Going hundred miles an hour to help his team win. He didn’t care if he carried the ball or made the block. On film Cuff was always around the ball and consistently made plays- on both offense and defense. He showed excellent ball skills and was very durable, playing in over 100 games. He finished his career with 3,410 yards from scrimmage (1,851 rush., 1,559 rec.), averaging a robust 5.4 yards per carry.

     Never the top dog in the Giants rushing game, he was mostly overshadowed by Hall of Fame halfback-fullback Tuffy Leemans- his teammate with the Giants for seven seasons (1937-1943). But twice Cuff led the NFL in rushing average per carry, in 1943 (80 carries) with a 6.5 avg. and in 1944 with a 5.6 avg. (tied with Steve Van Buren). His 80 rushing attempts in 1943 was a career high. Rarely did he get to carry the football. But he might’ve been the most important piece in the backfield.

     Another strength was catching the ball (from Tuffy Leemans/Ed Danowski). From 1937-1943 he caught 78 passes for 1,170 yards- averaged a gaudy 16.7 yards per catch - and 10 TDs.

Ward Cuff, Giants, wingback, 1945

     Watching game footage of Cuff on the defensive side of the ball, he consistently showed great range and timing as a defensive halfback with 13 career INTs for 263 return yards. He always seemed to be around the ball, breaking up many passes and never being out of position. In the championship season of 1938 he had a 96-yard INT return for a TD against the Redskins (won game 36-0) to help clinch the Eastern Division title and set a Giants team record that lasted twenty years when Erich Barnes broke it in 1961 (102-yards). In 1941 he led the NFL in interception return yards with 152. In a 1985 NFL Films interview Washington Hall of Fame coach Ray Flaherty remembers the 1938 Cuff interception:

     “We took the ball down to the Giants one yard line. It was first down and a yard to go for a touchdown. I was just sitting there relaxing, waiting for them to go across the goal line. Frank Filchock lined up in the tailback position and threw a pass into the right side of our offense against the best, probably the best defensive back in the league, Ward Cuff. He picked it off and went 96-yards for a touchdown.”

     Cuff was the premiere kicker of his time- among the likes of Ken Strong, Ralph Kercheval, and Jack Manders. He converted 43 FGs and was an impressive 155 of 162 on extra points, a clip of 96%. He led the NFL in FGs made 4 times, 1938-1939, 1943, and 1947 – at the age of 35 - and finished in Top 5 of FGs made 8 times. Also was in Top 10 in scoring 8 times…Helped the Giants win 4 divisional titles and the 1938 NFL Championship- where he kicked 2 XPs and 1 FG against the Packers, a 23-17 victory…Scored 21 career TDs (13 rec., 7 rush., 1 INT return).

Cuff still ranks second all-time with Most Seasons Leading League, Field Goals Made, only Lou Groza had more seasons. 

1^st- Lou Groza, 5 times (1950, 1952-1954, 1957)

2^nd- Jack Manders, 4 times (1933-1934, 1936-1937)

2^nd- Ward Cuff, 4 times (1938-1939, 1943, 1947)

2^nd- Mark Moseley, 4 times (1976-1977, 1979, 1982)

3^rd – 3 times by, Bob Waterfield, Gino Cappelleti, Fred Cox, Jan Stenerud, Stephen Gostkowski

Ward Cuff, Giants place-kicker, circa 1939

     In 1938 Cuff explained his kicking process:

     “There’s no trick to it. The mechanics of the thing are simple, and the only thing I take credit for are the hours I devote to practice. Practice is essential; it develops the right timing.

     First and foremost, the kicker must keep his eye on the ball. That’s why so many kickers miss. Rushing linemen distract them, and involuntarily they take their eyes off the ball. That’s fatal.

I start off with my right foot, take one step with the left and let go.”

     In 1946, at the age of 34, Cuff was traded by the Giants to the Chicago Cardinals, so he could be closer to his family’s Milwaukee home. Despite losing one of his best players Wellington Mara agreed to the trade. That season he finished 3^rd in the NFL in scoring with 55 points (behind Packers Ted Fritsch 100 points, and Bob Waterfield 61 points). Cuff played his final season in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers in 1947. When he retired Cuff finished with 411 career points (had 305 points with the Giants).

     In 2000 I interviewed Hank Soar, one of Cuff’s teammates with the Giants. He praised Cuff for his all-around play. “Ward could punt a ball. He would kickoff too, his ball would always be right there at the goal line. He was strong kicker. Ward was a great defensive player. He could run. He could just play football and he was a great defensive man. He’d intercept passes like nobody in football could do.”

Ward Cuff, N.Y. Giants, 1942

HONORS:

     Cuff only endured one losing seasons in his career (1945, 3-6-1), helping his teams to an overall record of 71-38-10. He made 3 Pro Bowls, 1938-1939, 1941 and three times named First-team All-Pro by UP in 1941, 1943-1944 and once by Pro Football Illustrated in 1944…Named Second-team in 1938 by I.N.S.; in 1939 by Football Writers and I.N.S., and in 1943 by New York Daily News…Honorable Mention by NFL 4 times, 1937-1939, 1941 and once by the Football Writers in 1938.

     Because he was never the focal point of the offense his overall stats come up short with other Hall of Fame backs from the two-way era, especially his contemporaries like George McAfee, Bill Dudley, Tony Canadeo or his teammate Tuffy Leemans. But nobody might’ve been more important for their team’s success than Ward Cuff for the Giants. Offense, defense and special teams – premiere kicker of his era – Cuff was simply an outstanding two-way player. Footage shows us that too. Once speaking in 1943 Steve Owen told Arthur Daley of the New York Times, “If I had to choose up sides, Ward would be the first man I pick. He does everything and does it remarkably well.”

Giants Jersey Number 14 Retired (1946):

     Despite his lack of recognition Ward Cuff was honored with one of the greatest achievements any player can have. His jersey retired.

     The Giants retired his no. 14 jersey in 1946- the year he was traded to the Cardinals. That fall Cuff returned to his old stomping grounds wearing a different uniform but a familiar jersey number. On October 20, 1946 Cuff jogged out in front of over 50,000 fans at the Polo Grounds wearing his Cardinals number fourteen jersey. The fans gave him an ovation.

     In the game program that day Giants Vice-President-Secretary Wellington Mara wrote a one-page tribute to Ward Cuff, praising the former Giants hero. He wrote:

     “In his nine years with the club, Ward Cuff was truly a ‘Giants Among Giants.’ From the very first he was a regular. He scored more points for the Giants than anyone has ever scored for them. He paved the way for many more with his unselfish blocking. When an important game hung in the balance for want of a field goal or point after touchdown he never failed. He was always the best pass defender and tackler on the team that excelled in defense…

     The Giants miss Cuff. They miss his running and blocking and tackling but most of all they him ‘in the clutch.’ For when the chips were down he was always there to say ‘I’ll make it, let me try,’ when a first down was needed or a field goal would mean the ball game.

     This year, when family ties and business interests were such that Cuff couldn’t come east, arrangements were made to permit him to play near his Milwaukee home. That explains his presence with the Cardinals today. No one can ever take his place on the Giants nor will anyone ever wear his No. 14 jersey. That number has been retired for all-time.”

     That day Cuff played his heart out trying to beat his former team. He accounted for 12 points on a touchdown run, one field goal (42-yards) and three extra points. But it wasn’t enough as the Giants pulled out a tough 28-24 victory.

     Cuff’s jersey wasn’t retired quite yet. In 1961 when the Giants traded for Y.A Tittle they brought out jersey number 14 for him. But since 1965 no New York Giants player has worn the number fourteen.

     After doing some high school coaching and working for Boeing, Ward Cuff passed away on December 24, 2002 at the age of 90. “We were contemporaries,” Giants owner Wellington Mara said to the Associated Press. “He came to camp in 1937 as a rookie, and we roomed together from then on in camp and on the road. I have a lot of fond memoires of him. He was a terrific competitor.”

     Not too many players get their jersey retired. A Special honor, for a special player. We remember Ward Cuff.

Ward Cuff article, Young America, Oct. 1940

Career statistics—Rolland Lawrence

By John Turney 

Rolland Lawrence was not a tiny cornerback, small (5-11, 175 maybe) yes, and for sure he was no Mel Blount who was 6-3 but he took over from Ken Reaves who was that size, and a Mel Blount-type of player. Reaves was good enough to cause Howard Cosell to lament "I don't know why the Falcons ever traded that guy" during a Monday Night Football telecast.

Well, Lawrence was a big part of that, the Falcons knew Lawrence could do the job. He was asked about his size he'd say "size is just a number" while admitting that if a big back came to his side on a sweep he'd have to "hit him in the kneecaps."

His rookie coach saw him in 1973 and said "What's he trying out for, the concessions?".

He labored most of his career with a struggling Falcons team. In 1973, his rookie year they were decent but were terrible from 1974-76. But Lawrence was not, even earning All-NFC status in 1975 with his nine picks—just two behind Blount's league-leading 11. 

Additionally, from 1975 to 1979 he picked off at least six passes a year, and from 1975-80 he led the NFL in picks—not Mel Blount, not Monte Jackson, not Ken Riley, and not some ball-hawking safety, it was Rolland Lawrence.

With the 1977 Gritz Blitz Defense, Lawrence finally got some major recognition being a consensus All-Pro and part of a defense that set the 14-game record for fewest points allowed. That year he picked off seven passes and got a sack—which he called his "proudest NFL moment."  He also lost two pick-6s on penalties and also a scoop-and-score on a Falcon defensive infraction. It may have happened but it is hard to imagine any player losing three defensive scores in one season. Chalk it up to the cost of doing business as an aggressive defense.  

As the Falcons got good and after a 12-4 season in 1980 Lawrence got hurt—he was put on injured reserve in 1981 with a bad hamstring injury and was cut in August of 1982 when he tried to comeback from that hammy. The writing was on the wall, he was done. 

He left a good mark on the NFL and had a very good career, you certainly paid the price if you challenged him too often, he would help in run support, and could return punts and kicks—though his return averages were nothing to write home about.

He was a gifted athlete at Tabor College in Kansas he was a running back on the football team and was the star of the track team running the 100, 220, 440, all the relays, and was a fine javelin thrower with a personal best of 230 feet. Not bad for a 175 (if that) man. 

He was not drafted in 1973 but after spring an offer by scout Dick Haley and the Steelers he signed with the Falcons and the rest was Falcon history.

Larry Csonka's Career Stats Including WFL

 By John Turney 

Here are Larry Csonka's career stats including WFL stats—

William Hayes—When Numbers Don't Tell the Whole Story

 By John Turney 

We tell this story a lot—a player who grades well but does not get much recognition or does not have great stats can still be a valuable player. William Hayes is another one of those guys. 

He believes in Mermaids, does not believe that dinosaurs were real, but you can believe this:  he was a very good player. 

Looking at his numbers they are not impressive has as defensive ends go—

However, he did it playing less than half the time doing his best work as a nickel rusher/wave player. He was a starter in 2009 with the Titans and looked good, especially versus the run but was not getting the sacks but got decent pressure but his playing time fell the next couple of years.

In 2012 he was signed by the Rams and for two years he was mostly a defensive left tackle in nickel but also spelled left end, Chris Long. Hayes and Eugene Sims played mirroring roles and when Sims came in in nickel the Rams had a four-DE rush that was very effective.

The Rams were also the top team in getting tackles for loss—tackling backs for one- or two-yard losses on the way to the quarterback and Hayes fit in that scheme well (In fact, he ended his career with more stuffs than sacks).

From 2014-15 Hayes had to start due to injuries to Long and in 2016 he was the starter at left end when Long was gone. In 2017 he was again a "wave" player, spelling the starter.

Here are his year snap count percentages—

His best spell was 2012-13 and what impresses the most is not the sacks and hurries, though given he was playing about one-third of the time, but the stuffs. In 2012 he had nine run stuffs to match with seven sacks and 20 hurries. Double his playing time and it's maybe 14 sacks, 18 stuffs, and 40 hurries. 

Of course, there is no way to know if the number project to say, two-thirds of the snaps being as effective as one-third. It's like a part-time baseball player hitting 15 home runs in 275 at-bats. Would he have hit 30 in 550 at-bats? Regardless, as a role player, Hayes was very effective (as has Eugene Sims who caddied for Robert Quinn). 

As mentioned things changed in 2014, Long got hurt, Aaron Donald was drafted and that needed any need for a 4-DE pass rush. In 2015 Robert Quinn got hurt and Long got hurt again. In 2016 Quinn was hurt again and Simms was the starter at RDE as he was in 2015—a real mess outside of Aaron Donald. 

Nonetheless, Hayes was a player who graded well versus the run and pass and was best used in a rotational or "wave" role and he showed that in his film and in his numbers.

He was solidly built had good base, was kind of a poor man's William Fuller. Not a taller "angular" player, but built low to the ground and used leverage to win. He would beat tackles with power and set up speed moves, rather than the other way around. And he had enough quickness to get an edge on a tackle. 

He was one of those guys who you'd like on your team, maybe not as a starter, but as someone who can help you on third down and also spell your starter without losing quality.

In college at Winston-Salem State Hayes started 22 of 30 games for the Rams, recording 150 tackles with 15 sacks, 37 stops for losses, and 15 quarterback pressures. 

As a senior in 2007, he led the nation with seven forced fumbles and tied for 10th nationally with a team-high 19 stops for losses including a team-leading 8.5 sacks and was second on the squad with 78 tackles. 

He was the school's All-American since the school moved to the Football Championship Subdivision from the Division II level in 2006. He also set a school record while leading the FCS ranks with two touchdowns on four fumble recoveries. He was a big-play machine in school, clearly.

Hayes attended High Point Andrews High School where he was a member of the Raiders’ Mid State 2A Conference Championship team in 2003 where he played defensive end, linebacker and tight end.