Lester Hayes: The Ultimate Cornerback
A former teammate named Fred Biletnikoff used stick-um on his hands and body, but it was Lester Hayes who took it to another level and it forced the NFL to ban its use. Hayes played ten seasons with the Oakland and then the Los Angeles Raiders. He won the admiration of friend and foe alike for his ability to cover any type of receiver man for man. Whether it was Charlie Joiner, John Jefferson or some other great player, Hayes always managed to keep up with the best of them. In 2001 he was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame but just missed it by a few votes.
Lesters greatest season came in 1980 when he intercepted 18 passes, including five in the postseason, in leading Oakland to a Super Bowl title. He returned two of those 18 interceptions for touchdowns and in the playoffs, Lester was the most dominate cornerback in playoff history. Against the Oilers, Hayes intercepted former teammate Ken Stabler two times, returning the picks for a total of 26 yards and scoring one touchdown. One week later, he intercepted Cleveland quarterback Brian Sipe 2 times. Finally in the AFC Championship game against the Chargers, Hayes intercepted Fouts one time. In Super Bowl XV, Hayes didn't intercept a pass but he limited his man to just two receptions in the Raiders 27-10 victory.
On January 22, 1984 the Los Angeles Raiders played in Super Bowl XVIII against the Redskins. Hayes was once again flawless throughout the Raiders playoff run. He intercepted one pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the AFC Divisional playoffs and he intercepted another pass in the AFC Championship game against Seattle. In Super Bowl XVIII Hayes limited his man to just one reception. Hayes slipped on the play and this allowed for a completed pass. Lester almost shut out his receiver for the entire game!!!
Hayes intercepted 39 passes during the regular season and 47 overall. He retired from football after the 198 season citing what he termed a "fit of rage" toward everyone within the Raiders organization after recording only 14 interceptions in his final six seasons.
| Year | INT in regular season | INT's in postseason | TD |
| 1977 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | 4 | no playoffs | 0 |
| 1979 | 7 | no playoffs | 2 |
| 1980 | 13 | 5 | 2 |
| 1981 | 3 | no playoffs | 0 |
| 1982 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1984 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986 | 2 | no playoffs | 1 |
| Totals | 29 | 8 | 8 |
Lester Hayes in Pictures
