Hayden Hurt’s journey to the NFL featured a stop in minor league baseball first. A 17th round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012 out of The Bolles School in Jacksonville, FL, Hurst had dreams of playing pro baseball before pro football.
When that dream died, he walked on the football team at the University of South Carolina in 2015. By 2016, his star was beginning to rise.
He started every game for the Gamecocks that season, setting school records for receptions and yards receiving by a tight end. This past year, he was an All-SEC selection at the position.