Published: Dec. 15, 2015
Cowboys’ Hayden returns home
Former Arrowhead star gets praise from owner
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News
GREEN BAY — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said an NFL
player is either ascending or declining, never steady.
Nick Hayden has been on the upswing — maybe more than any
other player in the Cowboys locker room — since the day he signed with the
franchise.
“He has continued to go up and go up,” Jones said. “He is
the poster child.”
Jones also said in the last three or four games, “We’ve
lined up with as good of a front-seven as we’ve put on the field in many
years.”
Hayden, an Arrowhead graduate and Hartland native, is in
that mix, which is a far cry from where he was three years ago.
A sixth-round pick out of Wisconsin in 2008 by the Carolina
Panthers, Hayden is sixth on the Cowboys in tackles, including tops on the
defensive line.
When he got into the league, Hayden, 29, spent the first 14
weeks of the regular season on the Panthers’ practice squad. He played in two
games in 2008, making his NFL debut Dec. 21, 2008, against the New York Giants.
He started his second career game the next week against the New Orleans Saints
and recorded two tackles.
He returned to the Panthers in 2009 and played in 10 games,
with two starts. Then in 2010, he played in 14 games — with 10 starts. In 2011,
he was cut by the Panthers in training camp and was out of football until
signing with the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 7, 2011, and played in two games.
In 2012, Hayden was completely out of football. He injured his ankle during
training camp and was cut by the Bengals.
He never doubted his ability or worried if he’d get a chance
to play pro football again.
“I know I’m good enough to play in this league,” Hayden
said. “I’ve just got to prove myself.”
There is one reason why he believed that: family.
“I’ve got a daughter and wife at home,” Hayden said. “I play
this game for them, to give them the better future, and my parents. They raised
me the right way. They taught that relentlessness in me, just never give up and
keeping grinding away, whenever an opportunity presents itself, take full
advantage of it.”
Hayden signed a two-year contract Feb. 11, 2013, with the
Cowboys and made an impact right away. He has played and started in all 47
games with the franchise since he signed with them.
“This game is a lot about luck,” he said. “I’m just glad
they gave me a chance. It was hard being out that whole year. When I got my
name called to come to Dallas and play for them, I knew I was never going to
look back.”
In 2013, he posted career highs in tackles (51) and tackles
for loss (two). Also in 2013, he played against Green Bay for the first time in
Dallas. He had one solo tackle and two assists in that game, which Dallas led
26-3 at halftime, but the Packers won, 37-36.
“It’s always fun playing Green Bay,” Hayden said, minus the
result.
He played in Green Bay for the first time in last year’s NFC
Divisional playoff game.
“It’s overwhelming,” Hayden said of playing in Lambeau Field
for the first time after growing up adoring the Packers.
And that’s not taking into account that it was a playoff
game.
“It’s every kid’s dream growing up in Wisconsin, to play in
Green Bay,” Hayden said.
“It was definitely exciting for the first time.”
Hayden said he wasn’t any more nervous or excited for the
game than he normally is for a game. If anything, it being a playoff game was
what elevated the nerves and excitement.
“Once the first play goes, you’re focused and dialed in,”
Hayden said.
In 2014, he had a career-high 52 tackles and four
tackles-for-loss.
On Sunday against Green Bay, he had four solo tackles and
two assists, including one tackle-for-loss, in his second career game at
Lambeau Field. For his career, Hayden is 0-3 against the team he loved growing
up.
“Every time I come back I enjoy it,” Hayden said, adding he
wished the results were different. “Any time you come here to play it’s great.”
He had more than 50 friends and family at Sunday’s game.
“Big shout-out to them for coming out and supporting me,” he
said. “Just couldn’t get the job done.”
His greatest Packers memory was Brett Favre’s magical game
against the Oakland Raiders in 2003 a day after Favre’s father passed away.
“It was unreal to see him do that,” Hayden said. “Growing
up, I idolized him a lot. Just the way he played the game, the emotion he
showed. I just tried to take that and bring it to my game.”
Hayden watched on television Favre’s emotional return to
Green Bay on Thanksgiving when his number was officially retired by the Packers
and was reunited with legendary Packers quarterback Bart Starr.
“It was awesome to see Bart Starr, Favre and all the greats
come back,” Hayden said.
Hayden is happy in Dallas, but he knows first-hand he can’t
take it easy — nor does he plan to.
“You can never take anything for granted,” Hayden said.
“This is how it is. You’ve always got younger players coming in trying to
replace you. I just go in every year and just try to do my best and have my
career year, every year.”
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