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Where There's a WILL
There's a Way
(Up Close with Adam Hayward)
Original Publication Date:
September 2008
Some people are just born to do what they do. In his case it was football. He was born to play—linebacker to be exact. Not without struggle and hardship, Adam tackled the challenges and obstacles life threw in his path and emerged on the other side. His focus and desire to succeed landed him a first-class ticket to the biggest field of dreams—the NFL. Early on he had the will; he just had to find the way. And find the way he did.
I sat down with Adam Hayward, the rising star of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as he gears up to be part of some pewter power in, this, his 2nd season. We're being joined later by his beautiful fiancee Jaime Smithers. During this conversation we're going to talk a little football, a little fitness, and a little relationship talk. Hopefully, we'll learn a little more about #57 and what makes his life in Tampa great. So here we go. . .
PZ: It's a pleasure being here with you today. First, I'd like to say congratulations for being in the NFL. That's a very small and elite fraternity and you're in it. Sounds like a dream come true. Would you say that's what it is?
Adam: Thank you for those kind words. It IS a dream come true. It's one of those things where you say, am I really here? I've worked my whole life to get to where I am. When I was a little kid I wanted to play professional football, but, I mean, how many people actually get to do it? When I wake up in the morning that is what I get to go do for my job. It's amazing.
PZ: I'd like to go back in time for a moment. You spent your college years bouncing from position to position. At Portland State you finally found your place at outside linebacker. What influence did Coach Tim Walsh have in helping you settle into that position and make it your own?
Adam: Like you said, I did bounce around. I played linebacker in high school and when I got recruited at Colorado State they saw me as a safety. I've never played that so I wasn't sure how it was going to work out.
PZ: But you were a starter there?
Adam: I ended up being a starter and it ended up being a weird transition. I was making it work, but then I ran into some family problems and that's what set me back.
PZ: Yes. I know about that.
Adam: I took a year off from football to reevaluate my life and find my focus again. After that year I realized football WAS my focus. I went back to the coaches but they had already moved on. I don't blame them—it's a business. They had to do what was best for the team. So at that point Sonny Lubick sat down with me to discuss what alternate actions we could take as far as me getting back into football. He happened to know Coach Walsh at Portland State so they worked something out so I could play.
PZ: Did you have to prove yourself?
Adam: Yeah. I didn't know if I was going to get another year on top of that to play.
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