50 Years, 50 Moments by Jerry Rice

Author:Jerry Rice
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780062302601
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2015-10-16T16:00:00+00:00

“HAYDEN’S HOUSE CALL”

Despite suffering a leg cramp at the most inopportune time, Indianapolis Colts defensive back Kelvin Hayden still managed to outrace his opponents and score a 56-yard touchdown on this interception that helped defeat the Chicago Bears.

#19

SUPER BOWL XLI

February 4, 2007

Dolphin Stadium

Miami, Florida

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - 29

CHICAGO BEARS - 17

In 2007 the Colts, led by an all-star-laden offense including Pro Bowlers quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, wide receiver Reggie Wayne, and offensive linemen Tarik Glenn and Jeff Saturday, went 12-4 to capture the AFC South.

And though the defense was porous, among the worst against the rush during the regular season, the comparatively short and light unit improved considerably in the playoffs. The Colts defeated the Chiefs and Ravens, then overcame a 21–3 deficit to defeat the Patriots, 38–34, in the title game to reach the Super Bowl.

Under head coach Lovie Smith, the Chicago Bears reached the Super Bowl going 13-3 with an emphasis on defense and solid special team play from kicker Robbie Gould and Pro Bowl return specialist Devin Hester.

“The Bears were more of a defensive-oriented team, so it was more Rex’s [quarterback Grossman] job not to put them in tough situations. We saw it as an offense that emphasized their running game and threw only when they needed to,” Colts defensive back Kelvin Hayden said.

Hayden had been born and raised on the rough South Side of Chicago, with his father more out than in his life, and his mother, Lynette, struggled to make ends meet for her son and daughter. Despite being a couple of trains and buses away from home over on the safer Southwest side of the city, Kelvin attended Hubbard High. In between football practice, studies, and his lengthy commute, he had no time to find trouble on the streets that were lurking in his neighborhood.

From there he stayed local and displayed his football skills playing for Joliet Junior College. As a brilliant receiver (115 catches/1,839 yards/17 touchdowns), the two-time All-Conference player led his team to 21 straight wins and the 2002 NJCAA national championship (and was named the game’s MVP).

In 2003 Hayden led the Fighting Illini with 52 receptions for 592 yards. However, before the 2004 season, head coach Ron Turner (who would be the Bears’ offensive coordinator in Super Bowl XLI) switched Hayden to cornerback, where he started all eleven games and had 71 tackles and four interceptions. His athleticism and versatility caught the attention of NFL scouts, and Hayden became the sixtieth overall pick in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

Hayden reflected on how far he had come and what he was thinking as he got ready to play the game of his life.

“Being in that tunnel brought out so many emotions. Growing up where I didn’t see a lot of the positive things in life, me being from Chicago playing against my hometown team knowing that I can be part of something special and you can see the emotion and fire in my teammates’ eyes, especially those veterans that worked a long time to get here.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.