Posted on 04/11/2005 5:06:20 PM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
Story and photo by Tawny Archibald Campbell/The Bayonet
FORT BENNING, Ga. (TRADOC News Service, Feb. 25, 2005) - There was a time when 29-year-old Windrell Hayes thought he had it all.
He had a beautiful wife, a college education and a career with the National Football League.
After being released from the New York Jets in October 2001 and spending the following spring with the Green Bay Packers, Hayes realized he wasn’t all that happy with his life. He didn’t enjoy playing professional football, and he wasn’t having fun.
“I got into football because my brother played, and I was jealous of all the attention he got,” Hayes said. “When I wanted to quit in high school, people got mad at me, so I just rode with it.”
Once he was drafted into the NFL, football was “just a job,” he said. It was then Hayes decided to give up his football career and do something he could be proud of, something that would make his family proud. He joined the infantry.
“This was something I really wanted to do; it wasn’t a last resort of any kind,” said Pfc. Hayes, 1st Battalion, 329th Infantry Regiment. “I felt like this was the right thing to do. I played football for a while and was living off what I had made, but I wanted something more.”
Once he decided to join the Army, there was no turning back. He packed his bags, kissed his wife and two children and left for what he calls “the heart of it all.”
“I didn’t want to be an officer, because this is my first time in, and I want the whole experience of the Army,” Hayes said. “I knew physically I could hang with anybody in the infantry, and mentally I’d be OK.”
Only four weeks into basic training, Hayes knows his decision to leave the stadium and move on was a good one. As a private, he is making less money, but that doesn’t bother him.
“Fortunately I’ve seen both sides of the fence, and it’s more important to do something you enjoy,” he said. “I think the only reason I (played) ball was because I was caught up in the money. When it came down to it, money wasn’t important.”
Hayes now focuses on being a good Soldier and leader. His football training comes in handy at Sand Hill.
“In (football), you learn to push your body and not quit. You might crawl, but you don’t stop,” Hayes said. “In football, you get told what to do, and you learn not to take offense. It motivates you.”
Hayes said the same is true in the Army.
“Basic training is a lot like spring training,” he said. “But this is more interesting – I get to play with weapons and roll in the dirt and navigate terrain.”
Company commander Capt. John Westbrook said Hayes is a “good example of a citizen Soldier.”
“He’s definitely an asset to the platoon,” Westbrook said. “He’s not arrogant or egotistical about where he came from. He’s very committed to being a Soldier, and it’s evident in the way he carries himself.
“He’s not trying to spotlight himself,” Westbrook said. “He doesn’t want special treatment. He’s just one of the guys.”
Pfc. Windrell Hayes is a former football player with the Jets and the Packers.
Fight on, for old SC, and then fight on, for the US Army, to Victory, fight On!!!!!!!!!
You got my respect Pfc. Hayes. Thanks.
Right? </Sarc>
Rock steady, Private! Getcha kneez in tha breeze while you're at it.
HOOAH!
Finally! A Trojan I can root for!!
God Bless you, be safe !!!!!!!
Thanks for posting a story about another real American hero.
bump to that
Well after his first tour maybe he'll take the officers rank, he sounds like a man to lead men.
Great story.
This man is an inspiration to all....God bless him and be safe!!!!
God Bless this Man!
Now this is a athlete the kids can look up to!
I am Tawny Archibald Campbell, the reporter and photographer for the story. I have seen Pvt. Hayes several times since I first wrote the story a couple of months ago. He has recently graduated from the Basic Training portion of his training and is now in the AIT portion. He is well respected by his fellow recruits and along with Pvt. Sage, a college FB player, they have shown strong leadership abilities. It is nice to know that the good guys are doing well.
Welcome to FR taznjo! Thank you for the additional information about Pvt Hayes. We love these stories.
Everyone, please check post 13 on this thread. The writer of the article has posted a bit of an update on Pvt Hayes.
Thanks again taznjo. Next time you talk to him, be sure and tell him we love him!
I'll 'assume' he is having fun at Sand Hill and enjoying his walks around the Malone Range Complex. Thanks for the update.
Ping. Check out post 9, too
Welcome to FR, great job on the story & the pix...gotta love Pvt. Hayes' statement, "kissed his wife and two children and left for what he calls “the Heart of it all.”
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