D.J. Hayden And The Bucs
April 17th, 2013
Man, the Bucs need cornerbacks worse than a bear in the woods needs a roll of toilet paper. One name Joe will be looking out for is Houston corner D.J. Hayden.
Late last season, Hayden was thought to be one of the top corners in the nation before a violent collision on the practice field nearly cost him his life. He was rushed to an emergency room and had to have his chest sawed open to find the source of the bleeding.
Hayden was thought to be near-death. And he was.
Hayden fought back to compete in the combine where he wowed people running a 4.3 40-yard dash. His quick feet allows him to handle man-coverage well and, with his blazing speed, he has great recovery and closing technique.
He hasn’t played football since November. But the way he was able to bounce back from near death says something to Joe about his spirit.
“The first couple days [after surgery] I was really depressed,” Hayden told Joe and other reporters at the NFL Combine. “I thought I’d never play football again. But the doctor told me after three or four months I should be able to play again. I was like, ‘Okay. I have hope.’ But there was always doubt in my mind. I was questioning myself, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ I even questioned God because I was in a whole different state of mind.
“I have a whole new outlook on life. All the stuff I took for granted, I don’t take for granted any more whether it’s family, friends, God – I’m cherishing every moment because you never know when your time is up.
“The way I’m looking at it is if you’re going to do something, do it to your fullest. If I’m going to play a game, I’m going to play my hardest the whole game. If that was my time to end, I don’t feel I finished like I finished my career the way I wanted to. I don’t feel like I played well in my last game. I just want another opportunity to play another game and do what I can do.”
April 17th, 2013 at 9:27 pm
I can’t help but root for this kid! I hope he’s extremely succesful going forward.
April 17th, 2013 at 9:32 pm
Sounds like a great young man! If he isn’t a Buc, I’ll still have my fingers crossed for him !
April 17th, 2013 at 9:39 pm
He’s a warrior with superior skills and dedication. He’ll be a prize for the team smart enough to grab him early.
April 17th, 2013 at 10:04 pm
Not very impressed by Hayden
April 17th, 2013 at 10:16 pm
“I have a whole new outlook on life. All the stuff I took for granted, I don’t take for granted any more whether it’s family, friends, God – I’m cherishing every moment because you never know when your time is up.”
I truly believe wholeheartedly this is an outlook that is important for every person, especially myself included, to eventually realize. there is no amount of money in the whole world that could buy that kind of exceptional attitude. thats just my take on what I gathered from this article. Im proud of this kid and will be rooting for him no matter where he ends up.
April 17th, 2013 at 10:18 pm
Give me star in first, this guy in the second trade up and grab Escobar then honey badger, I’ve been beating the drum for this guy for a minute.
April 17th, 2013 at 10:24 pm
And if he dies because of football?
I could see a team taking a chance on him in LATE rounds, if he’s passing i tense physicals.
April 17th, 2013 at 10:29 pm
I’ve followed Hayden until his dreadful accident and I think of all the CBs in the draft including Milliner, I thought he had superior NFL skills. If he gets a full medical clearance, I would still be willing to take a flyer on him in the 2nd round. He fits Schiano’s system as an aggressive cover CB that is a fierce tackler and has the speed to cover deep. If we trade down, I think he could be in play. However, when you’ve torn a vein in your heart it’s going to give everybody pause!
April 17th, 2013 at 11:01 pm
The only thing that worries me about Hayden is after his near death experience that was caused by a hard collision, will he be tentative from this day forward on making tackles? Will he be willing to sacrifice his body to make the tough tackle? This could be a psychological problem that won’t be detected until he is put in that situation which teams won’t find out until after the draft and during OTAs.
With that ? in my mind I’m afraid I would not consider drafting Hayden until the later rounds if I were any GM. It’s a shame because he was having a phenomenal college career before being seriously hurt.
April 17th, 2013 at 11:23 pm
Can you say buccaneer man? With that mentality he definitely fits the bill.
April 17th, 2013 at 11:26 pm
New mock draft. Take trufant or Rhodes 1st round. Kawann short 2nd round. Then trade 3rd n a 4th to move back up n get this dude or Honey Badger in the 2nd Then can still get a tight end with the 4th. Then rb n whatever else after that.
April 17th, 2013 at 11:45 pm
I really like his film and he is a game breaker but the post injury trauma does concern me. He’s got mid rounder steal written all over him. No doubt he is a steal…
April 18th, 2013 at 6:52 am
Can’t help but root for this young man to prosper in the NFL.
Pewter would work fine for me.
Instant fan favorite?
April 18th, 2013 at 12:24 pm
All for this selection, provided 2013 playoffs are a reality.