Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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things that were important," said Melissa-Denise Hayes, Jay's mother. "It was structure, commitment, disci- pline. It parlayed into him now sign- ing for Notre Dame." Hayes made his choice to attend Notre Dame early, in the fall of his ju- nior year. He decided it was the right place for him before ever setting foot on campus. He says he knew then that the dreaded winter weather and the stark contrast between north- ern Indiana and New York City would take some getting used to, but those where positives in his mind instead of nega- tives. "I see it as a challenge," he said. "You're not in the best place weather wise. You're not running around South Bend going to all these different par- ties. You know you're not in the best dorm, so you stick together. You get closer." Hayes preached what he called "the big picture" to other potential Notre Dame signees for the next year. Irish head coach Brian Kelly called him one of the class's most important recruit- ers. "He's such a thoughtful kid at his age that he understands why he would come to Notre Dame for all the right reasons, getting a degree and opening up doors for him for the rest of his life. Having said that, he's a heck of a football player." Kelly praised his quickness, his long arms and his ability to play anywhere along the defensive line — all tools the Irish will need more of in 2014. The door is wide open for newcomers to make an impact in Notre Dame's defensive front this year. The loss of senior Louis Nix III, a staple that held the Irish together at his nose guard spot in the past two years, and a lack of depth on the current roster to replace him means the incoming freshmen will have to be ready to go. Hayes and his soon- to-be classmates like An- drew Trumbetti, Daniel Cage and Jhonathon Wil- liams will all get a chance to mark some territory on the depth chart early in their college careers. "I think every one of the guys that we've re- cruited on the defensive line has to come with a mentality that you're coming ready to play," Kelly said. That's another challenge Hayes says he looks forward to tackling when he gets to campus in June. He said his biggest asset in getting settled in South Bend will be the maturity and perspec- tive he developed many years ago. Lying in bed shortly after learning about his father 's death, an 11-year- old Hayes told his mother he was go- ing to head out later that day and find a job to help her. She laughed and told him they'd be all right. Months later, he pulled on his father 's old blue bas- ketball jersey and joined the football team instead. ✦ Hayes wore the No. 2 jersey when he visited Notre Dame's campus because it matches the number on the jersey his father gave to him, which he wears under his pads each game. PHOTO COURTESY 247SPORTS