"[4][5][6] According to Hayes, he received the nickname in 1975 after a win against rival Texas, as he explained: "They had a partial-mortal, partial-god named Earl Campbell.
Hayes added five more interceptions in Oakland's three 1980 playoff games, as they advanced to a victory in Super Bowl XV.
Hayes had only one tackle, but that was because he so effectively covered Charlie Brown and Art Monk that Joe Theismann hardly threw to the left side of the field.
[16] Hayes was introduced to Stickum, an adhesive substance used by players to improve their grip, in his 1977 rookie season by Fred Biletnikoff.
Instead of just applying a small amount to his hands, though, he began to slather it all over his arms and even his uniform, drawing more and more attention to the substance.
[17] Hayes later described the influence the adhesive had on his career, saying that before being introduced to it in his rookie year, he "couldn't catch a cold in Antarctica".
[18] Biletnikoff and Jerry Rice, both of whom have admitted their usage of Stickum, have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while Hayes has not.
[21] However, in the spring of 1981, Hayes overcame his speech impediment with the benefit of speech pathologists at the Communications Research Center of Hollins College in Virginia, as he slowed down in speaking while dropping his voice level from E pitch to C.[22] A big Star Wars fan, during pregame interviews for Super Bowl XVIII, Hayes declared himself the "only true Jedi" in the NFL.