William Hayes – August 29, 2017
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Tuesday, August 29, 2017
DE William Hayes
(Can you talk about this d-line and how you compare it to some of the ones you’ve played on previously?) – “It’s probably one of the most talented groups that I’ve been with. We’ve just got to continue to work and work and work so we can become one of the best to play this game. You’ve got all the pieces. It can be scary if we all start hitting on the same page.”
(What do you think of DT Ndamukong Suh’s kicking skills out there?) – “Pretty impressive. I think he told me he used to play soccer when he was younger. Nothing doesn’t surprise me (about) what you can do when you’re that big of a freak.”
(You play with one of the best DTs in the league in Aaron Donald with the Rams, and now you’re coming to another one with DT Ndamukong Suh. Obviously, their body type is different. What do they have in common?) – “Both of them (are) nasty. They both play with an edge. They’re both trying to prove themselves every year, year in and year out. That’s what makes them so special.”
(It was a pretty spirited practice. You can tell it’s getting close to regular season.) – “Oh, yes. The intensity continues to still pick up and there has been more attention to detail of late, so I’m excited (about) the direction we’re going in.”
(When you’ve been going against that offense for so long, it’s going to get like that. That’s what you want.) – “Both sides understand the better we’re going to get, the better our teammates are going to make us. Every day, we just continually try to push each other and strive to be better football players.”
(I want to ask you how good you are with your hands in the passing game. We saw you tip that pass. You tipped the one DT Jordan Phillips intercepted last week, right? I thought your hands were right there on LB Lawrence Timmons’ interception. Talk about that aspect of your game. How important is it? Do you pay much attention to it?) – “If you’re getting blocked and you can’t get off the line, you might as well go ahead and throw your hand up. I’m just real big on trying to do all I can. I figured I wasn’t going to get to the quarterback, so I try to be an extra pass defender and get my hands up and try to knock the ball down.”
(Has that worked well for you throughout your career?) – “I just think it helps on the back end taking away a throwing lane. That’s just something I’ve always been … That’s something I’ve always done. I figure if you’re not going to get to the quarterback and the ball comes out fast, get your hands up.”
(Do you have any idea how many passes you’ve tipped?) – “No.”
(How have you seen DT Jordan Phillips respond to being moved to second team?) – “I think it was good. It feel it made him compete a little harder and he had to earn his spot back. That’s what this league is about. Every day, it’s a ‘prove yourself’ business. Since then, he has been coming out, he’s a totally different football player. (He is) working a lot harder and just grinding, and I can appreciate that.”
(Defensive end is obviously, if not the deepest, one of the deepest positions you guys have here. Have they communicated to you how your role will be, how much they’ll be using you, when they’ll be using you – things like that?) – “No, not really. Whenever they tell me to go in the game, I’m just going to try and go in there and make a play. Just try to help with the run, pass – whatever they need me to do.”
(With the Rams last year, were you on the field half the snaps, two thirds of the snaps? How would you say that broke down?) – “I was a starter last year, so I played a series and the guy behind me came in and played a series.”
(You expect the same thing to happen here?) – “We’ve got Cam Wake here. (laughter) I can assure you I’ll be on the sideline (on) third down cheering, and I don’t have a problem doing it. (laughter)”
(What makes Head Coach Adam Gase such a cool coach or player’s coach?) – “He’s relatable. He wants the same thing we want. Everybody wants to win. He has a good spirit about him. He’s a player’s coach, but he’s also a discipline coach. He’s not taking that from nobody. That’s what separates him from really any other coach I’ve had where he has been really, really, really structured, like really structured. At the end of the day, he lets us do what we want to do. He lets us play the game we want to play. He doesn’t have but so many rules.”
(In the process though, Head Coach Adam Gase likes to talk a lot of smack, too.) – “Oh, yes. He’s a competitor. That’s what you’ve got to appreciate about him.”
(Do you feel like you’ve taken a mentorship role with the young guys on the line? Is that something you enjoy?) – “Yes. I’m not trying to hold back no secrets. Anything I know, I try to give it to them. When I first got to the league, I had Jevon Kearse and Kyle Vanden Bosch. They took me under their wing, so I plan on doing the same thing. (If I’m) holding back a secret (it) isn’t going to help us get better as a unit. If anything, I can tell a guy that can help him out. I’ll give him all the advice I possibly can.”
(Were you there in Tennessee when Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke was there?) – “Yes, I was there with Matt Burke. I think back then he was a quality control coach. He has come a long way since then, hasn’t he? (laughter) He’s a special coach, too.”
(How has Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke changed over the years if at all?) – “He has got more control now for one. (laughter) He’s calling the shots on the defense. He’s a smart coach. He’s really (paying) attention to detail. The little things to him matter. That’s what’s going to make him so special.”
(What do you think of Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke’s exotic offseason travels?) – “He’s a little bit on that extreme side for me. I wouldn’t do none of the stuff he’s doing. (laughter)”
(Extreme side for you?) – “Extreme, yes. Definitely on the extreme side.”
(You’re a little on the extreme side, too.) – “My thinking is but not like my actions. I’m not diving in the water looking for nothing.”
(Where does Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke’s extreme side come from do you think?) – “I don’t know. He’s just passionate about trying to push yourself to the limits. That’s what you can appreciate about him. You know every week he’s going to give you his best game plan. He’s going to give you his best foot forward. That’s what I appreciate about him.”
