Lester Hayes

Position(s) Cornerback Jersey #(s) 37
Born	January 22, 1955 (1955-01-22) (age 54) Houston, Texas
Career information
Year(s)	1977–1986
NFL Draft	1977 / Round: 5 / Pick: 126
College	Texas A&M
Professional teams
Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders (1977–1986)
Career stats
Interceptions	39
INT yards	572
Touchdowns	4
Stats at NFL.com
Career highlights and awards
5× Pro Bowl selection (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984) 1× First-team All-Pro selection (1980) 5× Second-team All-Pro selection (1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984) NFL 1980s All-Decade Team 1980 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Raiders single season leader in interceptions with 13

Lester Hayes (born January 22, 1955) is a former professional American football player for the National Football League Oakland/LA Raiders.

Hayes was commonly referred to as "the Judge." A big Star Wars fan, during pregame interviews for Super Bowl XVIII he declared himself the "only true Jedi" in the NFL.^[1] He was known for his Bump and run coverage style, and for using Stickum before it was banned in a rule bearing his name.

In college, he became an All-American Safety at Texas A&M. Hayes was converted to cornerback after being drafted by the Raiders in 1977. Hayes was a member of two Raiders championship teams (1980, 1983), and was a five-time Pro Bowler (1980–1984).

In 1980, Hayes led the NFL with 13 interceptions and was named AP Defensive Player of the Year and the NEA Defensive Player of the Year. He retired after the 1986 season with a total of 39 interceptions, a Raider record shared with Hall of Famer Willie Brown. He is eligible for enshrinement in the Professional Football Hall of Fame, and in 2007 was chosen amongst 26 semi-finalists.

Hayes was a lifelong stutterer until well into his professional career. He tended to stay quiet, rather than draw attention to his condition. For this reason, he was often looked upon as not very smart, but after successful treatment, people "couldn't shut him up," according to former Raiders coach John Madden, and it was revealed that Hayes was an articulate, intelligent man. At autograph signings, he maintains a constant flow of chatter, entertaining his fans with his wit and style.

Lester Hayes currently lives in Modesto, California.

[edit] References

Lester Hayes currently spends his time with the youth of the community. Spending the football season with young kids and teaching life skills. He currently works with the Modesto Broncos Youth Football organization. www.leaguelineup.com/modestobroncos

[edit] External links

• Professional Football Researchers Association explanation of "The Lester Hayes Rule".
• [1]^{[dead link]} Lester Hayes pawns Super Bowl ring to pay for emergency dental surgery.