They thought William Hayes had lost his mind. Or at least hit the jackpot.
It was April 30. The Rams had just drafted running back Todd Gurley 10th overall. Hayes, the Rams' 6-foot-3, 278-pound defensive end, shot up from casino restaurant table he was sharing with fellow defensive end Robert Quinn. He hollered at the TV.
"It was like the happiest day of my life," Hayes said after the Rams beat the 49ers 27-6 on Sunday. "Rob didn't really care who we took. I was telling him, I looked at the film on this kid. This dude is special.