Lucas: Donald Hayes never gave up on his dreams
May 10, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas
Former wide receiver returned to earn degree and eager to give back to community
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Maybe it was hearing his friends talking about the benefits of a degree. Maybe it was knowing that he wanted to coach at the college level and he couldn't do so without a degree. Maybe it was wanting a job that wouldn't take him away from home as much and a degree was his ticket for it.
There was a degree of truth in all of this for former Wisconsin wide receiver Donald Hayes, who uprooted his family from Charlotte, North Carolina — where he has been living since retiring from the NFL — and moved back to Madison last August to complete work on his major, Afro-American studies.
On Saturday, the 43-year-old Hayes will get his undergraduate degree a little over two decades since leaving campus to embark on a pro career after being drafted in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers in 1998. "I knew I would come back," he mused. "I just didn't think it would take this long."
During his playing days in Charlotte, he explored online courses — "It wasn't what I expected at the time" — and he later looked into taking classes at some local colleges. But there was a question on how many of his Wisconsin credits would transfer and it discouraged him from pursuing that option.
Still, he never gave up on the idea of someday getting his degree; something which he had plenty of time to think about while driving semi-trailer trucks, 18-wheelers; box trucks and flatbeds. Making deliveries across the country, it was a labor of love and his post-football vocation.
"When I was a kid, my dad drove trucks in Florida," said Hayes, who was raised in Century, 40 miles from Pensacola. "He'd drive and I'd sit in the front seat. Driving long distances didn't bother me. I was with my dad and it kind of rubbed off on me, and I also had uncles who drove."
Hayes recalled an innocent exchange while piecing together his life after football.
"Hey, have you ever thought about driving trucks?" someone asked.
Made sense, after all, with his background as a youngster.
But he was now in his early 30s and wondered, "How do you even get into that?"
Motivated to find out more, Hayes went to the Department of Motor Vehicles for information and guidelines on how to become a trucker. One thing led to another and another. He took his test and got his license, passed two weeks of training and, suddenly, he was in the transportation business.
"I've been driving trucks since 2008 and I really enjoy it," said Hayes. "I've seen a lot of the United States. It's very interesting because you're always seeing something different every other day, all different types of people. It was an eye-opener from football, that's for sure.
"But it's one of those jobs where you can pretty much go anywhere you want and do it — as long as you're in good standing with your driver's license. You can pick up something locally or long distance. It's a job that you can work as long as you want."
Hayes didn't have a CB handle. "In my eyes, I wasn't a super trucker, I was just a professional truck driver," he said, laughing at the mention of former NBA all-star Karl Malone, who gained additional notoriety as a driver and the owner of a trucking company. "He had a nice rig. I had nothing like that."
The only negative was that he was away from home too much. And it was one of the main reasons he came back for his degree. "I sat down with my family and we talked about it," said Hayes, who has two kids. "We decided, 'Let's go back to Wisconsin and finish this thing up.'"
Most importantly, he had to make sure his wife, Libby, was on board with the move since it would necessitate leaving Charlotte and relocating to Madison. "A lot of things had to come together to make this possible so it would benefit both of us," Hayes said. "I really needed her support."
And he got it. No surprise.
But he wasn't prepared for the first week of classes. Big surprise.
"It was really, really tough," he said. "My first class was in the afternoon and it's three hours long. I'm the oldest one in the class. Everyone is walking in with their iPads. I was like, "What did I get myself into?' I really didn't know, and I started questioning myself.
"I talked to my wife, 'Hey, I need you to help me. I need you to keep me focused and looking at the bigger picture — and not just the first couple of days of classes.' It was tough getting back in the mood, being on campus, hauling a backpack and not going to a football practice."
Hayes played four years for the Badgers (1994-97) and led the team in receiving as a senior.
"Now, I had another reason for being in school," he said. "I was here for me and my family. And I had to look at the reasons why I was doing it. That gave me the motivation to basically push through and keep going. Now that I'm graduating, it's kind of surreal. I still don't believe it yet.
"Until I get that paper in my hand, I won't be able to say, 'OK, it's official. It's done.'"
Because his workload has been manageable — 21 credits spread over two semesters — Hayes has been serving as a mentor to kids at the East Madison Community Center. His old turf. Hayes was 13 when his family moved from Florida to Madison and the EMCC was his safe haven.
"Seeing the kids, it brings me back to when I was a kid," he said, "and how lucky I was that there were people to watch over me and kind of guide me in the right direction — giving me the opportunities to blossom and be the type of player, the type of person and the type of man that I am today."
Hayes was a prep legend — all-state in football and basketball — at Madison East High School. But he wasn't always on the track to such success. As a ninth grader, he struggled finding direction. That's when he came under the influence of the late Milt McPike, the East principal.
McPike, a father figure to Hayes, offered encouragement, support and some tough love.
Hayes is hoping to have the same impact on the mentees at the community center.
"Just be you," he instructs them. "Believe in you and everything else will line up for you."
Although he stills own a home in Charlotte, Hayes has been reconnecting with people in the area and is planning on staying in Wisconsin. "I want to work with kids," he said. "My plan is to see if there are any opportunities in coaching and I'm going to apply to the school system in Madison."
The 6-foot-5 Hayes still casts a long shadow. "Particularly having grown up right here in town," said UW athletics director Barry Alvarez, who was his head coach with the Badgers. "He was an all-around athlete who had a great career here and a nice career in the pros. He has been diligent in everything that he has done."
In 2013, Hayes was inducted into the Madison Sports Hall of Fame. And now he's committed to reestablishing his roots.
"It's really nice when you see your guys come back," Alvarez said. "They've grown up and matured and they want to give back to the community. It just makes you so proud."
Hayes is expecting to see some former teammates at Saturday's graduation, including Kevin Huntley who's coming up from Florida. "Even though it took a long time," he said of getting his degree, "you can never give up on your dreams. You just have to keep truckin' because you can get it done."
