Former NFL player brings his dream home to Muncie youth

His love for football carried him all the way to the National Football League (NFL). There, Hayes said the transition was difficult, but it was also where he discovered the kind of discipline, accountability and perspective that would eventually shape him as a leader.

Today, as dean of students at Southside Middle School, those same values remain at the core of everything he does.

“You have to work as a team. It’s just not about you. With my job here, I’m able to work with so many different people, because I was on teams, and I had teammates [who] I had to work with to accomplish a common goal,” Hayes said.

To him, football not only paved the way toward a free education — it also opened the door to once-in-a-lifetime experiences, like standing on the White House lawn in the 90s shaking President Bill Clinton’s hand after winning a national title with Central State, a historically Black college in Wilberforce, Ohio.

However, when his mother unexpectedly passed away, Hayes returned home to the Southside of Muncie. Now, he leans on the same mantra that carried him through the game — giving back to the place that first allowed him to dream.

“It’s been huge. A lot of people contributed to me being successful, so since I’m back here, I feel like I need to do the same thing for the kids [in Muncie] now,” Hayes said.

Youth sports were at the center of making Hayes’ NFL dream a reality, having spent many afternoons at the Muncie Boys and Girls Club. Today, he gives back to young athletes through a nonprofit called Third and 11, which provides opportunities for kids to participate in camps and combines at Ball State University’s practice facilitIES, according to its website.

“With my nonprofit, Third and 11,  the key is to never give up, to keep striving to be better. Don’t let obstacles stand in your way; either go over them, get around them, [or] go under them — but keep your eye on the prize,” Hayes said.

Hayes started out as a kid on the Southside with a simple dream — to make his mother proud. Over time, that goal evolved into something bigger: a love of family, a love of the game and a commitment to the team and community.

Dreams Through Sports

Dreaming through sports isn’t just a Southside story — it’s one shared by children all over Indiana. More than 60 percent of Hoosier youth between the ages of 6 and 17 participate in organized sports, with especially strong participation among Hispanic youth, according to the Indiana Youth Institute.

But beyond the scoreboard, the benefits run deep. The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition linked sports to lower anxiety, higher self-esteem and better academic outcomes. Other organizations, like the Child Mind Institute and the UPSWING Foundation, highlight how team sports build mental health, resilience and belonging.

For at-risk youth, these programs are more than just after-school activities — they’re lifelines. Structured sports opportunities can reduce dropout rates, drug use and juvenile crime, especially between 3 and 7 p.m., when risk is highest, according to the National Recreation and Park Association. 

Third and 11 partners with local organizations to extend their athletes’ involvement beyond the field, helping participants grow through meaningful community engagement.

One of its standout collaborations is with the Muncie branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where chapter president George Foley Jr. has worked closely with the nonprofit to create outreach opportunities and promote leadership development.

“[Brandon and I]  got together because we started a program called the Muncie Youth Empowerment Program. We wanted to partner to do some youth leadership, financial literacy and college prep,” Foley said.

As a result of the partnership between Third and 11 and the Muncie NAACP, Foley said a group of 15 kids from the Muncie area was given the chance to experience something much bigger than football. They boarded a bus and hit the road — not just to tour a few college campuses, but to envision what was possible.

From visits across college campuses to a few pit stops that included football landmarks, the trip became a powerful moment of exposure, opportunity and inspiration. For some of the kids, Foley said it was their first time seeing a college campus in person, a rare moment to imagine life beyond the block, and begin to dream a little bigger.

“We were also able to go to some football events in Ohio [and] the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio,  [Hayes] helped arrange for us to take a charter bus [with] 15 youth to the event,” Foley said.

Foley emphasized the importance of starting youth involvement programs early and investing in them for long-term impact.

“We went a long time without providing adequate programming for our youth. We have to listen to the youth and find out what they need. We just can’t assume, as adults, what the youth need,” he said.

He added that he believes Muncie’s NAACP Branch partnership with Hayes’ Third and 11 is a prime example of providing outreach opportunities for youth within the community.

When it comes to sports, Foley, who has a background working with the Muncie Parks Department, believes they are one of the driving forces in getting kids involved as early as possible, as recreational activities improve one’s quality of life.

In a changing and uncertain time for youth and young adults, Foley said parks remain at the heart of joy, imagination and the dreams of a future, serving as a place to escape a bad day or recuperate in the respite of nature.”

Hayes agreed. “Yeah, I actually grew up on North Street, …so, my front yard was basically a park. I spent so much time at the basketball courts, playing baseball and playing football in the park, [which] had a lot to do with me being involved in athletics,” Hayes said.

Contact Dillon Rosenlieb via email at dillon.rosenlieb@bsu.edu.