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Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Hayward ready to take on Georgia Tech

As No. 11 Georgia Tech travels to Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday to play Vanderbilt, the Yellow Jackets will be squaring off against 19 native Georgians, including four from Middle Georgia. One of them, Commodores sophomore cornerback Casey Hayward, was a multi-sport star at Perry two years ago. The Telegraph’s Coley Harvey caught up with him this week before he takes on another foe from his home state:

QUESTION: First of all, how has the year been? You’ve started every game this year. Not a lot of sophomores can say that. (Hayward is fifth on the team with 43 tackles and has two interceptions and a team-leading 7.5 tackles for loss).

ANSWER: It’s been nice to be able to get in and learn from some of the older guys and really just to start seeing a lot of different things that might be able to help me this year and in the years to come.

QUESTION: You’re surrounded by some good “older guys” in players like potential All-America corner and high draft prospect Myron Lewis. What have they said to help with your growth?

ANSWER: They’re just encouraging. They’ll say, “Don’t worry about making every play, we’re there.” We just encourage one another, and we talk about the games, and we watch a lot more film in the hotel room together before the games.

QUESTION: Walk me through your first start in the season opener against Western Carolina. Were the nerves going, were you anxious that day (Vanderbilt won 45-0)?

ANSWER: I knew I was going to start a while back, so I wasn’t too nervous playing Western Carolina. I had been playing football all my life, so it was just a matter of going out and playing. It was nice, though; getting my first start and having it end in a win. (Laughs)

QUESTION: What about later in the year when you started playing SEC opponents like LSU, where you guys were able to keep it close for much of that game?

ANSWER: Yeah, it dawned on me a little bit then. We get to play against some of the best guys in the country every week. And when you play in the SEC you just have to show what you can do every week.

QUESTION: You saw significant action as a freshman playing in relief in last year’s Music City Bowl win over Boston College (three tackles, two defended passes). How did playing in that game help your confidence this year?

ANSWER: It helped my confidence a lot. It gave me a chance to show the coaches and everybody that I could go out there and compete every down. I remember there was a pass breakup that I had that I almost had for an interception. I didn’t have it, it went right through my hands, but I got my hands extended and almost had it.

QUESTION: From what you’ve seen of Georgia Tech’s option, how challenging does it seem it will be to stop?

ANSWER: Oh it’s a challenge. I know teams try to do it every week, but nobody has really slowed it down yet. It’s a big-play offense, and so you just have to stop the big plays and stop the run early and try to get them to pass more.

QUESTION: As a defensive back I’m sure you personally want to see them pass more?

ANSWER: Yeah, yeah, I do. (Laughs)

QUESTION: What exactly can you guys do to limit their run ability early?

ANSWER: Just have everybody running to the ball full-speed. Because they come down and block hard; they block very good. If everybody is running to the ball gang tackling or just running to the ball and doing their assignments, then hopefully we can stop it.

QUESTION: With 19 players on your roster from Georgia and a number of your players from Middle Georgia, did that make the transition to college life a little easier?

ANSWER: It helped a lot because a lot of players are from Georgia, and so when we do play Georgia or Georgia Tech, we do get really amped up before that game. I’ll have a lot of people coming up for the game because it’s Georgia Tech, but I don’t really look at it like that. I like to just go out and play no matter who it is.

QUESTION: I’m sure you’re familiar with the tough start your alma mater, Perry (2-6), has had this year. What would you say to keep the players there encouraged?

ANSWER: I just tell them to keep their heads up. It happens. And they’re young, so I know they’ll bounce back.