14 Facts About Lester Hayes

Lester Hayes contributed to the Raiders' Super Bowl wins in 1980 and 1983.

Lester Hayes was a two-time All-Pro selection and a five-time Pro Bowler.

Lester Hayes first played defensive end as a freshman and then linebacker and safety as a sophomore.

Lester Hayes was converted by John Madden from safety to cornerback after being chosen by the Raiders in the fifth round of the 1977 draft.

Henceforth, Lester Hayes became known for his bump-and-run coverage style of play coveted by team executive Al Davis.

Lester Hayes played with a distinctive stance, crouching very low when facing the opposing wide receiver.

Lester Hayes was known as one of the greatest shutdown cornerbacks in NFL history, and Deion Sanders, often cited as one of the all-time elite modern cornerbacks, wrote that Lester Hayes was one of his key influences growing up watching football.

Lester Hayes added five more interceptions in Oakland's three 1980 playoff games, as they advanced to a victory in Super Bowl XV.

Lester 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.

Lester Hayes retired after the 1986 season with a total of 39 regular-season interceptions, a Raider record shared with Hall of Famer Willie Brown, and eight playoff interceptions, fifth-most in NFL postseason history as of 2025.

Lester Hayes was introduced to Stickum, an adhesive substance used by players to improve their grip, in his 1977 rookie season by Fred Biletnikoff.

Lester 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".

Lester Hayes later stated that alongside lingering thumb injuries, the Stickum ban contributed to a decline in his later career.

Lester Hayes has been a finalist four times and a semifinalist six times.