Just under a year ago, redshirt senior Gump Hayes began practicing at defensive back for the ASU football team.
Then, the move was a contingency plan, with injuries throughout the defensive backfield, and something the coaches were trying out.
Now, it’s Plan A.
When Hayes arrived in Tempe, he was seen as a versatile offensive weapon, like a more dynamic D.J. Foster. He saw reps at wide receiver, running back and kick returner, and the Sun Devils hoped he could make plays from any position on the field.
Instead, Hayes was positionless in the worst possible way. With assignments all over the field, he never thrived at any and, after underwhelming production and mistakes on special teams, alternatives were explored. Within a few weeks, Hayes began practicing at cornerback and saw time on both sides of the ball for the rest of the season.
The biggest difference in the two, for Hayes, was the preparation aspect, changing from purely executing assignments to studying tendencies of opponents.
"On offense, you basically get the ball in your hands and go score," Hayes said. "As a cornerback, you don't know which route the receiver is running, so it all comes down to watching film, studying the formation."
His impact in 2015 was minimal, making only half of a tackle, but he showed promise in the eyes of coaches.
During spring practices, Hayes alternated between running back and cornerback, finally settling in on defense, where head coach Todd Graham called him “really consistent.”
That consistency earned him a role starting across from sophomore Kareem Orr at cornerback, playing field corner and defending the more open side of the field.
To get to that point, defensive backs coach TJ Rushing said Hayes has been a sponge for information and has taken coaching to heart.
“He’s done a great job of listening to coaching and trying to apply it on the field,” Rushing said. “Doing a great job of working hard and being competitive.”
With an athlete of Hayes' caliber, the biggest hinderance to success isn't the position, but the terminology, something other players in the secondary helped him understand quickly.
"That was probably the biggest challenge for him, because athletically he has everything that you need," Rushing said. "The other DBs did a good job of bringing him along quick, making him learn everything fast, meeting with him extra behind the coaches backs and doing a good job communicating with each other."
Despite that, Hayes confessed he still wasn't entirely sure of himself when week one rolled around and Northern Arizona paid a visit to Sun Devil Stadium.
“When I came in to the first game, I didn’t feel like I was comfortable at all,” Hayes said.
That discomfort, Hayes said, lasted nearly two games, until he intercepted two passes off Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes in a 68-55 ASU win.
“After the Texas Tech game and those interceptions, I feel like that boosted my comfort level a lot,” he said.
Hayes' first interception was essentially the nail in the coffin for the Red Raiders, as it led to junior running back Kalen Ballage's seventh touchdown of the game.
Rushing praised Hayes' ball skills, saying that it's an asset for a defensive back to be able to naturally go up and make a play on the ball and give it back to his offense.
Yet, for all the good, he's given the secondary, Rushing still has one complaint, considering Hayes' past.
"He owes me one touchdown, though, from that Texas Tech game,” Rushing said. "He should've scored, right?"
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Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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