As one of the Wisconsin football team’s most durable players, senior defensive tackle Nick Hayden, scheduled to start his 31st consecutive game Saturday against Michigan State, isn’t doing anything special to stay injury-free.
“I don’t really know how I did it, but I guess just working hard, doing the right things,” Hayden said. “I guess just working hard is the biggest key to playing that many games, and luck too.
I’m happy not to have an injury, knock on wood, so just basically that’s it.”
Besides durability, the senior possesses a knack for making the big play as well. On a field goal attempt by Iowa last Saturday, the six-foot, five-inch, 301-pound lineman burst through the Hawkeyes’ line and blocked Daniel Murray’s kick.
Iowa had been put in prime field goal position as a result of a David Gilreath fumble on the second half’s opening kickoff. The stuffed attempt gave UW a much-needed lift and the ball, and the Badgers ended up winning the game 17-13.
“I just stunted my gap and did my responsibility and blew the guard up on their field goal team,” Hayden said. “I got my hands up and just tried to make something happen.”
For his efforts, Hayden was recognized by head coach Bret Bielema as the team’s special teams co-player of the week.
“Nick Hayden, just took one play upon himself, overwhelmed the guard, and blocked the field goal attempt, and that was a huge momentum changer,” Bielema said at his weekly news conference.
A Hartford, Wis. native, Hayden broke out as a sophomore in 2005. That season, Hayden registered 56 tackles and a team-leading 5.5 sacks. He also forced three fumbles and batted down four passes.
Defensive line coach Randall McCray joined the Wisconsin staff prior to the 2006 season. McCray immediately noticed Hayden’s unique combination of size and speed.
“First impression was he’s a big guy that can run,” McCray said. “On the field, I think he’s grown a little bit, he’s more aggressive now. [He] wasn’t really aggressive to start with. We had to change the mentality a little bit about the techniques we play and things like that. The guy can get up the field and strike his target and run real fast to the ball.”
McCray noted Hayden’s trust in the system as a key to defensive tackle’s success, and the success of the entire defensive line.
“It’s believing in the system that puts him in a position to make plays,” McCray said. “Once the guys got convinced that we were putting them in position to make plays and create big plays in the defense, I think he fell into it, started making plays better.”
On the 2007 season, Hayden has 17 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss. If Hayden and the rest of the Badgers’ experienced defensive line can control the line of scrimmage, they, and the rest of the defense, will be in excellent position to step up and make plays.
“Everyone [on the defensive line] knows what they’re doing,” Hayden said. “We’ve all been around the block, and we’ve all been prepared for big games. I guess you could call us on the D-line leaders on the team, because we’ve got to make stuff happen so the other players [can] make plays.”
