'Mercury' Set to Rise in Norfolk
April 3, 2002 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Norfolk Nighthawks News Release
Norfolk, VA (April 3, 2002) - Nighthawks head coach Tony Missick announced today that the league office of arenafootball2 has assigned offensive specialist Mercury Hayes to the team.
Hayes spent the 1999-2000 season with the Montreal Allouettes of the Canadian Football League, catching 17 passes for 277 yards in two seasons. He also returned 8 kickoffs for 142 yards in 2000. Prior to playing in the CFL, Hayes was a standout wide receiver at the University of Michigan from 1992-1995. His senior season he teamed with Amani Toomer to form one of the best receiving duos in the country. He finished that season fifth in the NCAA in all-purpose yards with 1,218 and was named to the All Big-Ten second team and was also a UPI honorable mention All-American. Hayes caught 46 passes for 888 yards and four touchdowns in 1995, while being named as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nations top receiver. He is just the fifth receiver in UM history to reach the 2,000 yard mark in receiving yards.
Hayes' 2,109 receiving yards ranks him third on Michigan's career leaders list. He also rushed for 182 yards, returned kickoffs for another 900 yards and returned punts for 187 yards in his four years as a Wolverine.
"The kind of competition that Mercury has played against in his career should make him very comfortable in the af2", Missick commented, "Adding him to the lineup will allow us to open up our offense and get more quality receivers on the field at one time." Hayes acquisition means that Nighthawks OS Gary Briggs will probably be moved to the WR/LB spot for the first game.
"Briggs runs the best routes I've seen", Hayes said, "It's going to be fun running this offense with both of us on the field at the same time. I'm excited about the season. I only came here for one reason, to win a championship. I left UM the year before they got theirs, so I think I have one coming to me."
The Nighthawks open up their third season this Saturday, April 6th at 7:00pm at the Norfolk Scope. Tickets are available, but are going fast, so call 626-0500 to get your seats to watch Hayes, Briggs and the rest of the Nighthawks take on the Cape Fear Wildcats.
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