By MATTHEW PETERS, Sports Editor
BARSTOW • The superstars are not Chris Hayes’ target audience.
As a seven-season NFL veteran who got bounced around between several
teams in his career, Hayes identifies more with those who worked and
scrapped for every opportunity they got.

That’s the message he will bring to Stringham Park for a football
clinic at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning.

“There’s very few superstars, but there’s a million Chris Hayeses,
which are inspiring athletes out there who earn every opportunity to
play on those fields,” Hayes said.

The camp is run through Barstow Parks and Recreation Department in
conjunction with Coaching Solutions Innovations Sports, a company
founded by John “Tex” Williams. Registration is currently being taken
at Cora Harper Fitness Center, 841 Barstow Rd. The football clinic fee
is $35 which includes a camp T-shirt if pre-registered.
Williams, a former football coach at Barstow High School, brought
Hayes, who will be coaching and signing autographs, into the clinic
after the two met at recent camp in Redlands and automatically
connected.

“Couldn’t ask for a better guy,” said Williams, who added that he
can’t believe he’s getting a Super Bowl winner to come to his camp.
Hayes said he was struck by Williams’ attitude toward coaching.
“I love his passion, and I love what he’s trying to do by pouring back
into the youth,” Hayes said. “He wasn’t about yelling.”

Hayes currently lives in Calabasas but grew up in San Bernardino and
is familiar with playing against Barstow teams.

“They always had a great running back,” Hayes said. “I know for sure
there was always one good guy who could run the ball. It was toss
right, toss left to the speedy kid.”

Hayes played in 84 games in seven seasons in the NFL with the New York
Jets, Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots. The dream of playing
football professionally quickly turned into an education of the
business of professional sports in Hayes’ first year in the NFL in
1996. He was drafted by the Jets in the seventh round, but New York
struggled with just one win that season. He was let go midseason,
picked up on the Washington Redskins practice squad, cut again and
finally landed with the Green Bay Packers. He shuffled between the
practice squad and the team before claiming a spot on the roster in
time for the Super Bowl.

He still brings around his Super Bowl ring to football camps and lets
the players hold and see it.

“My philosophy is it was given to me freely to give to others freely,”
Hayes said.

Hayes retired following the 2002 season and has since focused on doing
football camps, writing books, working in finances and helping to
inspire other athletes. He recently started his own Web venture with
www.mygameclip.com, a site which helps connect athletes with seasoned
professionals for guidance on and off the field.
“It allows individuals to interact with people who have been down that
path,” Hayes said. “No one gets anywhere without others’ assistance.”

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4124 or mpeters@desertdispatch.com

John Williams
President CSI
President Barstow Youth Football
Coaching Solution Innovations
Cell 760-902-4087
johnwilliams@csifootball.com
www.csifootball.com
www.leaguelineup.com/barstowyouthfootball