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Chad Hayes of Old Town, former University of Maine second-team All-American tight end, has had a hectic four days.
Even though he has a case of jet lag, Hayes isn’t complaining.
Hayes played in NFL Europe’s World Bowl XII on Saturday, flew to Cincinnati and then worked out with his new team, the Cincinnati Bengals, on Tuesday.
Hayes signed a two-year contract with the NFL team and will work out with the Bengals until he flies home to Maine on Friday after the mini-camp winds up.
“This is a good opportunity for me,” said the 25-year-old Hayes, whose Frankfurt Galaxy lost to the Berlin Thunder 30-24 in front of a World Bowl crowd of 35,413 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Hayes caught two passes for 18 yards in the World Bowl after making 11 catches for 144 yards and three touchdowns during the Galaxy’s 7-3 regular season.
He played for Berlin a year ago, catching 12 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
“I had a really good time. It was a great experience. My position coach was [former New England Patriots Pro Bowler] Ben Coates and he was one of the greatest to play the game,” said the 6-foot-6, 254-
pound Hayes. “I learned a lot from him and have added some stuff to my game. When somebody has as much as success in the league as he had, it can only make you better.
“He taught me a lot of little things, like with my footwork, that he used in the passing game in order to get open. It’s one thing to be taught those things, it’s something else when you’re being taught by someone who had great success in the league for 10 or 11 years,” he added.
Hayes had been signed as a free agent by Kansas City after graduating from Maine in 2002, but was waived at the end of training camp. All-Pro Tony Gonzalez is the starting tight end for the Chiefs.
“That was a totally different situation. I had come right out of college and was trying to learn what goes on in the NFL. It was rough, but I learned a lot from that experience. I matured from it,” said Hayes. “Now I’ve got a couple of years [in NFL Europe] under my belt. I’ve received a ton of playing time, and that has helped me out. I’m coming in with a lot more confidence.”
The Tennessee Titans signed Hayes in 2003, but they also waived him.
Hayes said other teams had talked to him, but Cincinnati was the only team to make an offer.
He wouldn’t disclose his signing bonus or the specifics of his contract.
“It wasn’t spectacular, but I’ll take what I can get,” said Hayes, who caught 81 passes for 1,011 yards and 11 TDs during his career at Maine.
He said he would do whatever he has to in order to make the team, either as a tight end or a special-teams player.
The Bengals’ three tight ends – Matt Schobel (24 catches, 332 yards), Tony Stewart (21-for-212), and Reggie Kelly (13-for-81) – combined for 58 catches for 625 yards and three TDs last season.
He said things went well at his first practice Tuesday.
“Obviously, I was a little tired. I flew in from Frankfurt Monday, had a physical, signed a contract, and I was on the practice field today. I jumped right into the thick of things. I’m trying to get my feet wet. It’s a crash course,” said Hayes.
He said playing in the World Bowl was “pretty exciting, but, obviously, it would have been a lot better if we had won. We played Berlin three times in the last four weeks and that took a little bit out of it. But it was definitely a great experience for me. It was one of the highlights of my career.”
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