Casey Hayward, Jr.

Casey Hayward is a professional American football player in the National Football League (NFL). He currently holds the cornerback position for the Los Angeles Chargers. Hayward is a two-time Pro Bowler and a 2016 NFL interceptions leader.

Born on September 9, 1989 in Georgia, Hayward was a track, basketball, and football star while attending Perry High School. He was heavily recruited but he eventually chose Vanderbilt University where his stellar performance made him the most valuable defensive back.

In the 2012 NFL Draft, he was selected in the second round by the Green Bay Packers. While he was the third cornerback on the team’s depth chart, he still finished third for Defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Football Focus graded him with the highest overall grade of any slot corner.

He suffered from a hamstring injury in 2013 and came out of the season with one start and eight combine tackles in three games. Hayward continued to compete for the third and fourth cornerback positions with his teammates in 2014. In 2015, he was named as one of the starting cornerbacks and had his first career playoff game.

Hayward transferred to the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers after the Packers did not renew his contract. He was named as the starting nickelback in his first season with the team. In 2017, he got top marks from Pro Football Focus one again with 96.4 and was ranked 59th by his peers. He renewed his contract with the Chargers again in 2018.

His current player statistics are 311 total tackles, 85 pass deflections, 20 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 total touchdowns.

Achievements:

• 2-time Pro Bowl (2016, 2017)
• 2-time Second-team All-Pro (2016, 2017)
• PFWA All-Rookie Team (2012)
• NFL interceptions leader (2016)
• Second-team All-SEC (2011)