R.I.P. Gary Hayman

[Chandler#81]

His only real claim to fame was coming in for an injured OJ on a classic MNF game vs. Raiders, Season Opener ‘74. We came back late to win, giving Oakland their 1st ever MNF loss.

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

I thought this was pretty sweet:

 

 

Gary Wesley Hayman 

New Castle - Gary Wesley Hayman, age 69, passed away on Thursday, October 1, 2020. 

Born in Wilmington, DE on August 9, 1951, he was a son of the late Barbara Elizabeth Hayman. Gary grew up in Newark along with his five siblings. He always described his upbringing as a close-knit community that was like a village (this was Church St. you understand). His mother Barbara E. Haley saw to it that he attended Sunday school regularly at Mt. Zion church in Newark and always encouraged his academics & athletics. He attended the New London School until public schools were desegregated round here, after which he attended Central and graduated from Newark H.S. 

In addition to his mother, Gary was preceded in death by his brother, Conway Hayman. He will be dearly missed by his loving wife of 42 years, Barbara (Provan) Hayman; son, Wesley Hayman; brother, William Haley; and sisters, Barbara Haley, Michelle Haley; and Denise Hayman. 

In his first year of college he met my mother. I'm not sure if sparks flew but they became friends & then they dated. They dated in a time when a white & a black person weren't supposed to date. But now knowing my father, you know they dated anyway. Because who's going to tell them no?! He played football at Penn State on teams that played in both the Orange & Sugar Bowl. They dated throughout college regardless of the environment & then married in Dec. of '77. Gary earned his undergraduate degree from Penn State Univ. & later his Master's degree from the University of Delaware. But in between he played 3 years in the NFL. 2yrs for the Buffalo Bills & was then drafted in his 3rd by a '76 expansion team whom shall go nameless. They moved back to Newark, Delaware & made a home and built his own business Hayman Enterprises Inc. He was greatly influenced by the entrepreneurial example of his grandfather Charles Henry Hayman & proud that his company installed the signs in Philadelphia for Cecil B. Moore Blvd., his mentor and friend. They had their son years later in 1980. The time spent after that was spent not only raising their son but raising many of the youth in the Greater Newark/New Castle area. 

This is evidenced in Lifetime Achievement awards from the NAACP and induction in the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame and Delaware Afro-American Sports Hall of Fame. He passed from us on a Thursday, very quietly. The opposite of a life spent in a high school civil rights protest in '68 that obligated him to boycott his Sr. yr. of H.S. baseball (in which he was already an All-State stand-out), to in his later years receiving the Lifetime Achievement award for his decades' long work in the NAACP and serving as President of the Newark Branch for nearly 30 yrs. It does not need to be said, but it should be said anyway that 'Coach Hayman' is known to most as 'Coach' from a decade of little league coaching from '93 to around '05. The names New Castle Steelers & the Wilmington Stars might be names you remember from back then, if you were around. The imprint Gary Wesley Hayman had on the county around him is measured by the players & young Men that have borne their own lives as men, fathers & hopefully coaches. Coach is gone & I'm not sure where to go, but as my father I had a Coach. So I'll be aight. 

Oh & also his time in sports also included being remembered as a teen who captained baseball, basketball and football at Newark High School. The football team in Newark was 33-0 in football with the ever remembered "Three Aces" under Bob Hoffman. Hayman was the state's second leading scorer and an All-State selection his senior year. He starred in the Blue/Gold All-Star football game, catching seven passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns. In 1973 he shared the Delaware Sportswriters & Broadcasters Assn. "Athlete of the Year" Award. Hayman, at Penn State University, led the country in 1973 in punt return average (19.2 yard average, on 23 returns for 442 yards). He averaged 19.7 yards every time he touched the ball. Against North Carolina State he had an 83-yard punt return. He led Penn State in receiving with 30 catches for 525 yards and three touchdowns. In kick-off returns, Hayman led the team with 237 yards on eight runbacks, averaging 29.6 yards, including a 98-yarder against the University of Maryland. Hayman caught three passes for 35 yards and set up the winning touchdown with a 36-yard return against LSU in the 1974 Orange Bowl. He also played in the 1973 Sugar Bowl. Penn State was 22-2 in Hayman's two seasons there. 

In remembrance of his favorite quote I'd like to leave you with this, "Don't talk about it be about it!" 

-your Son 

[JaBu]

 

I remember Gary Hayman (RIP), but don't remember him in that game.  I do remember Ahmad Rashad (FKA Bobby Moore) had a big game and was instrumental in the win.

[Chandler#81]

16 minutes ago, jabu said:

 

I remember Gary Hayman (RIP), but don't remember him in that game.  I do remember Ahmad Rashad (FKA Bobby Moore) had a big game and was instrumental in the win.

IIRC, he broke his friggen leg trying to score from a yard out. Assuredly, this happened -and on MNF. Not sure it was this particular game, though..

[Ned Flanders]

6 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

IIRC, he broke his friggen leg trying to score from a yard out. Assuredly, this happened -and on MNF. Not sure it was this particular game, though..

 

Yeah, his stats show only one game in 1974, so it must have happened in the opener

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HaymGa00.htm

 

 

[dwight in philly]

Do remember him.. and DO remember that game! Had season tickets , at the end where Rashad caught the TD.. But CANT remember if Rashad was using Rashad or Bobby Moore at the time 

[chris heff]

7 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

His only real claim to fame was coming in for an injured OJ on a classic MNF game vs. Raiders, Season Opener ‘74. We came back late to win, giving Oakland their 1st ever MNF loss.

I don’t remember him, I was at that game. At the end of the game George Blanda missed a 47 yard field goal with 47 seconds left and since the kick came after midnight it was Blanda’s 47th birthday.

[LabattBlue]

15 hours ago, jabu said:

 

I remember Gary Hayman (RIP), but don't remember him in that game.  I do remember Ahmad Rashad (FKA Bobby Moore) had a big game and was instrumental in the win.

RIP. 😞
 

 

...as far as I'm concerned, it was one of the greatest 4th quarters in Bills history.  MNF, head shaking lead changes, and top it all off, the 47 year old ageless wonder,  George Blanda missing a game winning FG with little to no time left on the clock.  

 

It was also my 1st game at Rich Stadium.

Edited October 6, 2020 by Back the Blue

[Peter]

7 hours ago, BringMetheHeadofLeonLett said:

I thought this was pretty sweet:

 

 

Gary Wesley Hayman 

New Castle - Gary Wesley Hayman, age 69, passed away on Thursday, October 1, 2020. 

Born in Wilmington, DE on August 9, 1951, he was a son of the late Barbara Elizabeth Hayman. Gary grew up in Newark along with his five siblings. He always described his upbringing as a close-knit community that was like a village (this was Church St. you understand). His mother Barbara E. Haley saw to it that he attended Sunday school regularly at Mt. Zion church in Newark and always encouraged his academics & athletics. He attended the New London School until public schools were desegregated round here, after which he attended Central and graduated from Newark H.S. 

In addition to his mother, Gary was preceded in death by his brother, Conway Hayman. He will be dearly missed by his loving wife of 42 years, Barbara (Provan) Hayman; son, Wesley Hayman; brother, William Haley; and sisters, Barbara Haley, Michelle Haley; and Denise Hayman. 

In his first year of college he met my mother. I'm not sure if sparks flew but they became friends & then they dated. They dated in a time when a white & a black person weren't supposed to date. But now knowing my father, you know they dated anyway. Because who's going to tell them no?! He played football at Penn State on teams that played in both the Orange & Sugar Bowl. They dated throughout college regardless of the environment & then married in Dec. of '77. Gary earned his undergraduate degree from Penn State Univ. & later his Master's degree from the University of Delaware. But in between he played 3 years in the NFL. 2yrs for the Buffalo Bills & was then drafted in his 3rd by a '76 expansion team whom shall go nameless. They moved back to Newark, Delaware & made a home and built his own business Hayman Enterprises Inc. He was greatly influenced by the entrepreneurial example of his grandfather Charles Henry Hayman & proud that his company installed the signs in Philadelphia for Cecil B. Moore Blvd., his mentor and friend. They had their son years later in 1980. The time spent after that was spent not only raising their son but raising many of the youth in the Greater Newark/New Castle area. 

This is evidenced in Lifetime Achievement awards from the NAACP and induction in the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame and Delaware Afro-American Sports Hall of Fame. He passed from us on a Thursday, very quietly. The opposite of a life spent in a high school civil rights protest in '68 that obligated him to boycott his Sr. yr. of H.S. baseball (in which he was already an All-State stand-out), to in his later years receiving the Lifetime Achievement award for his decades' long work in the NAACP and serving as President of the Newark Branch for nearly 30 yrs. It does not need to be said, but it should be said anyway that 'Coach Hayman' is known to most as 'Coach' from a decade of little league coaching from '93 to around '05. The names New Castle Steelers & the Wilmington Stars might be names you remember from back then, if you were around. The imprint Gary Wesley Hayman had on the county around him is measured by the players & young Men that have borne their own lives as men, fathers & hopefully coaches. Coach is gone & I'm not sure where to go, but as my father I had a Coach. So I'll be aight. 

Oh & also his time in sports also included being remembered as a teen who captained baseball, basketball and football at Newark High School. The football team in Newark was 33-0 in football with the ever remembered "Three Aces" under Bob Hoffman. Hayman was the state's second leading scorer and an All-State selection his senior year. He starred in the Blue/Gold All-Star football game, catching seven passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns. In 1973 he shared the Delaware Sportswriters & Broadcasters Assn. "Athlete of the Year" Award. Hayman, at Penn State University, led the country in 1973 in punt return average (19.2 yard average, on 23 returns for 442 yards). He averaged 19.7 yards every time he touched the ball. Against North Carolina State he had an 83-yard punt return. He led Penn State in receiving with 30 catches for 525 yards and three touchdowns. In kick-off returns, Hayman led the team with 237 yards on eight runbacks, averaging 29.6 yards, including a 98-yarder against the University of Maryland. Hayman caught three passes for 35 yards and set up the winning touchdown with a 36-yard return against LSU in the 1974 Orange Bowl. He also played in the 1973 Sugar Bowl. Penn State was 22-2 in Hayman's two seasons there. 

In remembrance of his favorite quote I'd like to leave you with this, "Don't talk about it be about it!" 

-your Son 

Thanks for posting.  Great tribute by his son.

[JaBu]

1 hour ago, dwight in philly said:

Do remember him.. and DO remember that game! Had season tickets , at the end where Rashad caught the TD.. But CANT remember if Rashad was using Rashad or Bobby Moore at the time 

 

He was going by Ahmad Rashad at that point. I was pumped when they traded for him; pairing him up with OJ, Fergy, Chandler and J D Hill. Ironically the Bills lost both Gary Hayman and Rashad in the 1976 expansion supplemental draft.

[dwight in philly]

1 hour ago, jabu said:

 

He was going by Ahmad Rashad at that point. I was pumped when they traded for him; pairing him up with OJ, Fergy, Chandler and J D Hill. Ironically the Bills lost both Gary Hayman and Rashad in the 1976 expansion supplemental draft.

Thanks.. but i thought Rashad just left in  FA.. Again.. cant remember that either! 

[Ned Flanders]

4 hours ago, dwight in philly said:

Thanks.. but i thought Rashad just left in  FA.. Again.. cant remember that either! 

Yes, Rashad left as a free agent.  Don't recall the particulars but free agency was weird back then and much more complex than it is today.

[dwight in philly]

1 hour ago, Ned Flanders said:

Yes, Rashad left as a free agent.  Don't recall the particulars but free agency was weird back then and much more complex than it is today.

YEP! for sure was racking my brain , FA , way different back then .. thanks!

[Augie]

15 hours ago, jabu said:

 

I remember Gary Hayman (RIP), but don't remember him in that game.  I do remember Ahmad Rashad (FKA Bobby Moore) had a big game and was instrumental in the win.

 

One of my favorite games I ever attended. I don’t remember him specifically. 

 

RIP. 

 

 

[Rico]

1 hour ago, Ned Flanders said:

Yes, Rashad left as a free agent.  Don't recall the particulars but free agency was weird back then and much more complex than it is today.

Thanks Ralph.

 

RIP Gary.

[Ned Flanders]

2 hours ago, Rico said:

Thanks Ralph.

 

Ralph is cheap

[Chandler#81]

13 hours ago, Ned Flanders said:

 

Yeah, his stats show only one game in 1974, so it must have happened in the opener

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HaymGa00.htm

 

 

Yep. I’m sure this was the game he broke his leg trying to get in the endzone. Tib/fib

[hondo in seattle]

21 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

His only real claim to fame was coming in for an injured OJ on a classic MNF game vs. Raiders, Season Opener ‘74. We came back late to win, giving Oakland their 1st ever MNF loss.

 

Sadly, I've only seen the Bills in person 3 or 4 times.  This was the first.

 

RIP.