Wendell Hayes
{{Short description|American football player (1940–2019)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Wendell Hayes
| image = Wendell Hayes visits patients at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center (cropped).jpg
| caption = Hayes visits patients at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center
| position = Running back
| number = 33, 29, 38
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|8|5}}
| birth_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|12|28|1940|8|5}}
| death_place = Oakland, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lbs = 220
| undraftedyear = 1963
| high_school = McClymonds
(Oakland, California)
| college = Humboldt State
| teams = * Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|1963}})
- Denver Broncos (AFL) (1964)*
- Oakland Raiders (AFL) (1964)*
- Denver Broncos (AFL) (1965–1967)
- Kansas City Chiefs (AFL) (1968–1969)
- Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|1970}}–{{NFL Year|1974}})
| highlights = * Super Bowl champion (IV)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 133
| statlabel2 = Rushing attempts-yards
| statvalue2 = 988-3,758
| statlabel3 = Receptions-yards
| statvalue3 = 161-1,461
| statlabel4 = Touchdowns
| statvalue4 = 35
| pfr = HayeWe00
}}
Wendell Hayes (August 5, 1940 - December 28, 2019) was a former American football running back. Wendell played college football at Humboldt State University. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs, which included the team that defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth and final AFL-NFL World Championship Game.
Early years
Hayes attended McClymonds High School where he developed into an exceptional multi-sport athlete. He received All-Oakland Athletic League honors in football, basketball and track. He was also an amateur boxer.
He was mentored by Earl Meneweather who became California's first High School African American Head Football Coach in 1957. He was a dominant running back in football. He played on two undefeated basketball teams, that included Paul Silas and Aaron Pointer.
He moved on to Merritt College before transferring to Humboldt State University, where he played football, basketball and track.
Professional career
=Dallas Cowboys=
Hayes signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 1963.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19630707&id=_kYqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9U4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2100,1250966 | title=Card Fullback Traded To Dallas | access-date=February 19, 2023}} Injuries limited him to only one regular season game. He was waived on August 30, 1964.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19640902&id=-95NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8YoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2357,5803135 | title=Cowboys Obtain Roach For Quarterback Relief | access-date=February 19, 2023}}
=Denver Broncos (first stint)=
He signed with the Denver Broncos in 1964 but was released before the start of the season.
=Oakland Raiders=
The Oakland Raiders signed him to their taxi squad in 1964, before being cut in December.
=Denver Broncos (second stint)=
The Denver Broncos brought him back for their training camp in 1965 and surprised observers not just by making the team, but also starting in the same backfield with Cookie Gilchrist, finishing with 526 rushing yards (second on the team).
In 1966, although he was undersized for the position, he was moved to fullback after Gilchrist announced his retirement and led the team in rushing with 417 yards.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19660818&id=0LJMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tDEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5369,5473447 | title=Denver Rebuilds AL Team Without Cookie | access-date=February 19, 2023}}
On January 19, 1968, he was traded along with Goldie Sellers and a player to be named later to the Kansas City Chiefs, in exchange for a third (#75-Bob Vaughan) and fourth round (#102-Drake Garrett) draft choices.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1908&dat=19680716&id=5V0fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cNQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5203,3650676 | title=Chiefs Work Full Squad | access-date=February 19, 2023}}
=Kansas City Chiefs=
Hayes was placed on the injured reserve list on October 31, 1968.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19681101&id=WzpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YekDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3185,291736 | title=Wendell Hayes on Injured List | access-date=February 19, 2023}} He became a starter at fullback in 1970 and kept that role four years, until being relegated back to a reserve role. He was waived on April 21, 1975.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1908&dat=19750422&id=QFsfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YdQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2737,1265515 | title=Chiefs Waive Hayes | access-date=February 19, 2023}}
Personal life and death
Wendell Hayes died on December 28, 2019, at the age of 79, in Oakland, California. He was survived by his wife of 54 years, Donna Hayes; daughter, Jacquetta Hayes; brother, the Reverend Joseph B. Hayes; and sister, Winnie Hayes.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19660915&id=Tk0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2icEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7236,5018432 Broncos Feel Hayes Is Answer to Cookie and Fullback Woes ]
{{Super Bowl IV}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Wendell}}
Category:American football running backs
Category:Players of American football from Dallas
Category:Players of American football from Oakland, California
Category:Dallas Cowboys players
Category:Denver Broncos (AFL) players
Category:Humboldt State Lumberjacks football players
Category:Kansas City Chiefs players