2015 — Battled injuries that sidelined him for five games, including the season’s final four contests...saw action in six games and posted five starts at free safety...totaled 27 tackles, a tackle for-loss, and four pass breakups...earned starts in the first two games before giving way to Rodney Anderson the next two weeks...returned to the lineup against S.C. State (17-3 win) for the first of three consecutive starts before sustaining a season ending shoulder injury against The Citadel...registered a career high 10 tackles versus The Citadel before injury...had six stops against S.C. State...posted a pair of pass breakups against Virginia Teach...recorded five kickoff returns for 95 yards....made the switch to offense in the spring.
2014 — Saw action in 11 games and made the first start of his career at nickel back against VMI...battled a shoulder injury for much of the season, which eventually sidelined him early in the VMI contest and the next week versus The Citadel...served as Furman’s primary kickoff return man, averaging 23.1 yards on 21 attempts...collected tackles in four games....credited with a season long 39-yard kickoff return versus Presbyterian...had three returns for 68 yards against Mercer (24-20 win) and four returns for 69 yards versus Coastal Carolina...had a pair of snaps at quarterback against South Carolina State.
2013 — Among a contingent of nine true freshmen to see action for Furman...ranked as one of the Paladins’ unsung heroes after making the difficult switch from defensive back to quarterback five weeks into the season...move was necessitated after signal callers Dillon Woodruff and Terry Robinson sustained season ending injuries and starting quarterback Reese Hannon was sidelined for two-plus games due to injury...played a key role in Furman’s run to an 8-6 record, Southern Conference championship, and NCAA FCS playoff appearance, serving primarily as a backup over the final nine games...team finished ranked 21st in final FCS Coaches Poll...proved very effective in the ground attack, rushing 57 times for 302 yards and two touchdowns...earned his first collegiate start versus Wofford (27-14 win) in regular season finale that clinched the league championship...saw his first action at quarterback against Chattanooga, becoming the fifth Paladin signal caller to see duty in 2013...had nine carries for 51 yards the next week in a 27-10 victory over Appalachian State...rushed four times for 33 yards against Georgia Southern (16-14 win) and had nine rushes for 27 yards, including a 6-yard scoring run, versus Samford (35-17 win)...fashioned his most impressive performance against Western Carolina (32-20 win), running 12 times for 144 yards, highlighted by a 60-yard third quarter touchdown run that gave Furman a nine-point lead (26-17)...144 rushing yards represented the second most by a Paladin quarterback in program history (153, Keith Moore vs. Western Carolina, 1986)...before making move to offense, tallied three tackles in season opener versus Gardner-Webb.
High School: 2013 graduate of Dudley (4A) High School...football coach was Steven Davis...three-year starter...played quarterback...Rivals.com 2-star/Scout.com 2-star...two-time all-metro selection who was named metro offensive player of the year and all-area in 2012 after rushing 244 times for 1,802 yards and 33 touchdowns while also passing for 1,506 yards and eight scores...had a 33-carry, 262-yard, five-touchdown performance in season opening, 49-25 win over Southern Durham...all told accounted for 60 touchdown responsibilities his junior and senior years...served a team captain as a senior...also played basketball and baseball and competed in track & field.
Personal: Full name is Richard Leon Hayes III...born December 14, 1994, in Greensboro, North Carolina...son of Thomasina and Richard Hayes...has three siblings: Ryan, Kennedy, and Duvontae...health sciences major.
