Faced with months of rehabilitation after a second season lost to injury, doubts about his football future crept into the mind of Jerome Hayes.
"I never thought that [knee rehab] wasn't worth it, but there was a point in time after the second injury where I felt that maybe I should just continue with my academics and just call football quits," the Penn State senior defensive end said. "But fortunately for me, I had good fans and my parents were my backbone and kept me in it and I made it through."
As Friday's Lift for Life wound down, Hayes walked around as one of the few players not out of breath and not dripping with sweat.
Penn State trainers held the senior defensive end out of the competition, but Hayes said doesn't want anyone to take it as an indication he's not ready to return to action.
"I could've done it, I tried to get myself to do it, but they wouldn't let me," an upbeat Hayes said.
"But I'm lifting and running with the team, so that feels good."
Hayes has been a poster child for bad luck on the Penn State football team.
First came a torn right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in an October 2007 game against Wisconsin. Then, in just his second game back from injury in 2008, his left knee suffered the same fate in the win against Oregon State.
Hayes said he feels 100 percent and has been working out with the rest of the defensive line. That includes two workouts per week with former Nittany Lions and current NFLers, Anthony Adams and Tamba Hali on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
With Aaron Maybin, Maurice Evans and Josh Gaines lost from the defensive end position, Hayes will be counted on to step back in as the veteran of the group.
And although he's not officially a captain, he's become part of what appears to be a very strong group of senior leaders.
"I feel like we have two of the best leaders since I've been here in Daryll [Clark] and Sean [Lee]," wide receiver Derek Moye said. "At the same time, we have another great leader in Jerome Hayes -- who was close to being voted captain I think. So I mean that's some pretty big leadership right there."
After being relegated to the sidelines as a redshirt freshman when Penn State won the Big Ten in 2005, Hayes was back watching from the sidelines as the Lions won the league again last season.
Now, he feels health problems are a thing of the past, and he's ready to take part in what he hopes is another title run.
"To be honest, I feel like I've gone over my hurdles," Hayes said. "I faced them, and I got through. I'm just all about getting better as a player, as a teammate and helping us win a national championship."
