Ian Hayes' journey has been somewhat different than the one experienced by most of his University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football teammates who contributed to the team's successful start this season.
Yet his destination has wound up being the same.
The 6-foot-2, 250-pound redshirt junior, a former Ridgeland High School standout, has played his way into a role for the Mocs (5-2, 3-2 Southern Conference), who are off this weekend before returning to competition Oct. 27 against Virginia Military Institute. Hayes was in the mix to earn some time at outside linebacker heading into the season, but injuries on defense have caused a lot of reshuffling, which has led to Hayes earning a more prominent role.
UTC's Ian Hayes runs through the block of Tennessee Tech's Storm Williams during the season opener Aug. 30 at Finley Stadium.Pretty good for a former walk-on.
"It's been very positive to see," Mocs coach Tom Arth said Wednesday. "Ian had a really great offseason, and we really saw a lot of growth in him last spring and coming into this camp. That was the challenge for him. We asked, 'Are you going to be a third-down pass rusher? Or are you going to be able to play all three downs?'
"He's shown the ability to be a three-down player, be very, very good against the run. He's violent with his hands, striking blockers, getting off blocks and making tackles. He's been a real strength and boost to our defense."
It's been a while since Hayes has been able to consistently contribute for a football team. The last time was his senior year at Ridgeland, where the former teammate of current New Orleans Saints safety Vonn Bell and former UTC running back Darrell Bridges was a two-time all-state honoree.
"It's been a long time since I've got that action," he said. "It's been great getting out, showing the coaches I can compete to the best of my ability. It's been a blessing to come out here and showcase my talents."
He never doubted those. Not coming out of high school, when the college opportunities didn't present themselves; not in his first two college seasons, when he didn't appear in any games.
Last year, he had five tackles and 1.5 sacks, and this year he has 12 tackles (two for loss), a half-sack and three quarterback hurries as he works to make the most of his time on the field.
"My experience was a little different from most the other guys," Hayes said. "I didn't start off with a scholarship, so I just try to go out here, give my all, show the coaches I can do it and I'm well-deserving.
"I've come too far to doubt myself. I started from the bottom and worked my way up. I didn't have no time (to let doubt creep in). I just had to keep grinding and take each day for what it is."
Which is now an opportunity.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.