Mercury Hayes facts for kids

Mercury Wayne Hayes (born January 1, 1973) is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver, kickoff returner, and punt returner. This means he caught passes, and ran back kicks and punts. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. He also played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Montreal Alouettes.

Before playing professionally, Mercury Hayes was a star player for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team. He was chosen by an NFL team in the 1996 draft. He was the 136th player picked overall.

Even though his professional career was short, he was part of many exciting moments at the University of Michigan. He is famous for making a game-winning catch in 1995. This catch happened in a big game called the Pigskin Classic. Hayes also held a record at Michigan for catching a pass in 30 games in a row. He was also on the 1992 team that won the Big Ten Championship. That team also played in the 1993 Rose Bowl. Hayes went to Booker T. Washington High School in Houston, Texas.

College Football Journey

Hayes played in the 1993 Rose Bowl.

After high school, many top college football teams wanted Mercury Hayes to play for them. He chose the University of Michigan. Other famous teams that wanted him included Colorado and Florida State.

During Hayes' time at Michigan, the team's best year was 1992. They won the Big Ten Conference Championship. Their coach was Gary Moeller. That year, the team was ranked fifth in the country. They won the 1993 Rose Bowl game against the Washington Huskies. The score was 38 to 31. Hayes caught a 10-yard pass in that game.

In 1995, Hayes had an amazing game against the Virginia Cavaliers. He gained 179 yards from catches. This was the most yards by any Michigan receiver that year. It was one of the best single-game performances in Michigan history. Hayes also led the Wolverines in catches and receiving yards in 1995. By the end of his college career, his total receiving yards were among the best ever at Michigan.

Hayes set a Michigan record in 1995. He caught a pass in 30 games in a row. This record was later broken by other players. He is also one of Michigan's top players for returning kickoffs and punts.

Memorable Games and Moments

Mercury Hayes wore jersey number 9 for the Michigan Wolverines. He played for them from 1992 to 1995. Several top universities tried to recruit him. The University of Colorado even saved a scholarship for him. They hoped he would change his mind and join their team.

On September 24, 1994, Michigan played Colorado in a game called "The Miracle at Michigan." Colorado won with a last-second pass. Their quarterback threw a 64-yard "hail mary" pass as time ran out. Colorado won 27 to 26. In this game, Hayes caught 3 passes for 62 yards. He also returned 3 kickoffs. This game is known as one of the most exciting finishes in Michigan football history.

Hayes is famous for a game-winning touchdown catch on August 26, 1995. It was a 15-yard catch from quarterback Scott Dreisbach. He caught it on fourth down as time expired. This sealed an 18 to 17 win against the University of Virginia. This was the biggest comeback in Michigan Football history at the time. It happened in coach Lloyd Carr's first game. This game is also considered one of Michigan's wildest finishes.

Hayes was also involved in a game on November 18, 1995. Fans at Beaver Stadium threw ice and snowballs. In that game, Hayes caught 6 passes for 132 yards. Michigan lost to the Penn State Nittany Lions 27 to 17.

Hayes also had great games against his hometown team, the Houston Cougars football. As a sophomore, he gained 127 yards from catches. He also had good punt and kickoff returns. This was his best game for total yards gained.

Professional Football Experience

The 1996 NFL draft was a strong year for wide receivers. Many famous players were drafted that year. These included Keyshawn Johnson and Marvin Harrison. Mercury Hayes was picked by the New Orleans Saints. He was the first of three players the Saints picked in the fifth round.

Hayes' longest catch in the NFL was 50 yards. He caught it in 1996 in a game against the St. Louis Rams. During his first year, he played in 7 games. He had 4 catches for 101 yards. He also earned some bonus money. Hayes started the 1997 National Football League season with the Saints. He played in 4 games for them.

Hayes later signed with the Atlanta Falcons in October 1997. He played in two games for them. He was released by the Falcons the next year. In September 1998, the Washington Redskins added him to their practice squad. But they released him 19 days later. In 1999, he was drafted by the Barcelona Dragons. He was released from that team after five weeks.

Mercury Hayes then joined the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in June 1999. He was released in July but re-signed in August. In 2000, he had a good start to the season. He made some impressive plays in pre-season games. He also had good catches in early regular season games. However, he got injured later that month. He was released from the team in September. In 2002, he tried to play professional football again with the Norfolk Nighthawks. This was his last attempt to play professionally.

See also

• Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders