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Ex-WSSU lineman Hayes finds time to give back
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Published: July 2, 2008
By John Dell
JOURNAL REPORTER
William Hayes is in the very early stages of what he hopes will be a successful NFL career but he is also finding time to focus on helping others.
Hayes, a former star at High Point Andrews and Winston-Salem State, was a fourth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in April's NFL Draft. He will speak in Jamestown next week, talking about his life on and off the football field in a speech titled "Making the Right Choices."
"I'm going to explain about where I've been in life and how I've gotten this far," Hayes said. "If I can help one or two kids with what I'm going to say, then that's great. It's just a chance to hopefully make a difference in a small way."
The idea for the speech came from Teresa Amusan, one of Hayes' aunts, and Hayes' father, Robert, said that his son has always cared about others. The speech, which is free and open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Piedmont Plaza, which is at 4917 Piedmont Parkway, Suite 102 in Jamestown.
"This talk will target high-school kids, and I think the High Point Andrews coaches are bringing their players over," Robert Hayes said. "William's just always been somebody who is a responsible person, is active in his church, and I think coming from a religious family has helped mold him."
Robert Hayes said that William reads the Bible often and also tries to advise his younger cousins.
"He has a lot of cousins who live in the Detroit area, and they are always calling to talk to William," Robert said.
William Hayes, a defensive end, was a surprise pick by the Titans, who traded up to select him, and is WSSU's first draft pick since 1993. He has done well in minicamps so far and is expected to head into training camp later this month as the backup to All-Pro Jevon Kearse.
Hayes has not yet signed a contract, but agent Ray Brownell said he expects him to sign in the coming days.
"(The speech) speaks volumes of William's character, and he understands the responsibility to give back to his community," Brownell said. "It's real important to him because he's told me he's not ever going to forget where he came from."
Brownell said that Hayes also has visited hospitals in the Nashville area with teammates.
"You hear about so many different things around the league with guys getting into trouble, so it's nice to hear about these types of things as well," Brownell said.
John Dell can be reached at 727-4081 or at jdell@wsjournal.com.
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