On the list of “guys you root for” in the 2021 NFL Draft, Notre Dame OLB Daelin Hayes might be at the top. No. He’s at the top. Hayes won’t be this classes’ top pass rush prospect. But he’s one of its best people, making as much an impact off the field as he has on it.
It’s hard not to be impressed listening to Hayes. He isn’t defined as a football player. Few have been as involved in his community as he has. Named one of three finalists for college football’s Jason Witten Man of the Year Award, Hayes’ list of work outside the locker room is almost too numerous to note.