Jovan Haye is a former NFL star. He played college football at Vanderbilt where he recorded 149 tackles and 10.5 sacks. After his Junior season he declared for the 2005 NFL Draft. Over his 7 year span in the league he played for teams such as the Carolina Panthers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans. I sat down and spoke to Jovan about a number of different topics, here is what happened:
SB: You were drafted by the Carolina in 2005, what was going through your mind when you got that phone call?
JH: Couldn’t believe it. With all the hard work finally paid off. I wanted to get drafted much higher, but then you realise that this is the best phone call you are ever going to get.
SB: Did you have any idea that you were going to get drafted by the Panthers?
JH: No, no idea. They had players like Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker, Brenston Buckner. That was the last team I thought. Every time they came by they just swooped by, I wasn’t terribly concerned with them. So when I saw that area code I was like oh my gosh and it was the Carolina Panthers. It was a dream come true. A great moment, I wish I could have recorded it! (Laughs).
SB: What was the hard work like building up to the draft?
JH: Yeah, it was very hard. You had to do everything, especially getting ready for the combine. Then all the years you put in which is tough work and you realise when you get there wow, all this hard work you’ve put in to get to the NFL and ok I’m here now and wow I’ve got to keep putting hard work to stay here. It was tough, I’ve always said to myself not everybody gets the opportunity and there’s millions and millions of men who dream to play in the NFL and will never get the opportunity and they will die without the opportunity to put on an NFL uniform and play in a game. I’m one of the ones who don’t have to worry about that. It’s like the Navy Seals (laughs), that’s not the easiest club to get into and that’s how I feel. I’m just blessed.
SB: The draft is now approaching us, what will be going through their heads now?
JH: Oh, just wondering. You’ve got guys who are going to be scared to death. You’ve got guys who are going to be even-keel and you’ve got guys who are going to be over confident. I would tell them, just leave it alone you need to be even-keel, right down the middle, 50 50. At the end of the day there are going to be a lot of guys who will be shocked during the draft. If they get drafted or the get drafted higher than they think or shocked because they get drafted where they were not supposed to get drafted. There will also be those who think they should have been drafted who didn’t. There’s going to be a lot of shock three ways.
SB: What is your take on this year’s Draft Class? Is there anyone you think will be a big player?
JH: You can’t tell. You never can tell. Everybody can project the first round, they might get that wrong. If you look back at previous all-star games they are made up 3rd round to later draft picks. It’s just the way it is. The first round doesn’t guarantee you nothing. A lot of these guys that get big contracts aren’t first round draft picks; they’ve just stayed through the tough times and they came out on top. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter if you get drafted in the fourth or fifth round, it doesn’t mean you’re done (laughs). You’re nowhere close to being done. So that is the advice I give, be even-keel. The NFL will humble you real quick.
SB: A different aspect of the NFL, what is it like being a free agent, waiting for that phone call from a team?
JH: Free agency was a different situation, I knew I was going to go somewhere. So it was just me choosing the right situation that’s all. I can imagine what it’s like not knowing where you’re going to go or if someone even wants to bring you in, I can imagine what it is like. If you’re a free agent knowing you’re going to get paid it’s different, if you get released and you’re a free agent, that’s rough. You don’t know if you’re going to get that phone call and that’s the tough part.
SB: What’s the best thing about playing in the NFL?
JH: I don’t know. You just look at it and you say all these years of hard work and then you look at your helmet and realise this is one of the helmets I’ve watched for years on TV and now I can sit here and say it doesn’t get any higher. You can make the Hall of Fame but there is no Hall of Fame league. It’s the pinnacle of American Football. It’s like the Word Cup is the pinnacle of football (soccer), it doesn’t matter what league you play, UEFA or MLS there is no higher than the World Cup. The NBA there is nothing higher than the NBA unless you go to the Olympics.
SB: When you were growing up was there any player you aspired to be?
JH: No, not really. I was a big Steve Young fan but obviously I didn’t want to be him but I love Steve Young. Growing up I was definitely a 49ers fan.
SB: What was your best moment in the NFL?
JH: 2007 when we went to the play-offs for the first time in Tampa. When I was in Carolina we went to the Championship game and lost to Seattle but I didn’t play, so it didn’t really hit home.
SB: Who was the best franchise you played for?
JH: Hands down Tampa. That was when football was fun it was real football. A great organization, great coaches, great players. It was everything you ever dreamed of. I felt like every day when I came to work that I would take a bullet for my teammates; not just the D-line, the O-linemen and the fullback, everyone. That’s how much love we had for each other. Not everywhere felt the same.
SB: Who was the best player you played with or against?
JH: Best player I have played against? (thinks) I would say Michael Vick. Old school Michael Vick, Falcons Michael Vick. Best player I played with? Derrick Brooks. Wait, actually it would have to be Derrick Brooks and Julius Peppers. Old school Julius Peppers, not current Julius Peppers, I didn’t play with that one (laughs).
SB: Who was the best coach you played under?
JH: Oh my gosh. Monte Kiffin or Jon Gruden.
SB: As I’m from England, I’d love to know your opinion on a franchise moving to London?
JH: Terrible (repeated). I love you guys. You guys are awesome, I have relatives who live there. I just don’t see a franchise moving there. There are too many things that would need to happen for that to work. I have a friend and right now his team is thinking of moving to another city, he doesn’t even want to move to another city. So I can imagine what it would be like if you moved the Rams or the Raiders to London. Rivers doesn’t even want to move to LA so imagine moving a guy who’s been in America his whole life and move him to London! It’s a terrible idea. I would rather them do this. My honest opinion is them doing 16 games in London . If they could pull that off you won’t have to have one team in London. Every week two NFL teams will play their game in London. There you go you’ve solved the issue. As a player I never went to London but I’ve talked to people who have and they’ve said “If we are going to go all that way to play football, we are going to enjoy that city”. Then if you have a franchise you’ve got to play the away games, imagine what they are going to look like. If I’m in London and I’ve got to go to San Francisco and Miami. Do you think they are really going to want to go across? Going there 8 times a season.
SB: If you couldn’t play American football, what other sport would you of played?
JH: (Thinks). Oh boy, Basketball even though I wasn’t good at it (laughs).
SB: Would you ever consider going back into sport or coaching?
JH: No, no. I’m not for that. I’d rather watch than be directly involved (laughs).
SB: What plans do you have for the future?
JH: Honestly just taking it day by day and hopefully I can turn some of my businesses into Fortune500 companies. Just prosperous and well-known companies but it’s just day to day.
SB: You were drafted by the Carolina in 2005, what was going through your mind when you got that phone call?
JH: Couldn’t believe it. With all the hard work finally paid off. I wanted to get drafted much higher, but then you realise that this is the best phone call you are ever going to get.
SB: Did you have any idea that you were going to get drafted by the Panthers?
JH: No, no idea. They had players like Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker, Brenston Buckner. That was the last team I thought. Every time they came by they just swooped by, I wasn’t terribly concerned with them. So when I saw that area code I was like oh my gosh and it was the Carolina Panthers. It was a dream come true. A great moment, I wish I could have recorded it! (Laughs).
SB: What was the hard work like building up to the draft?
JH: Yeah, it was very hard. You had to do everything, especially getting ready for the combine. Then all the years you put in which is tough work and you realise when you get there wow, all this hard work you’ve put in to get to the NFL and ok I’m here now and wow I’ve got to keep putting hard work to stay here. It was tough, I’ve always said to myself not everybody gets the opportunity and there’s millions and millions of men who dream to play in the NFL and will never get the opportunity and they will die without the opportunity to put on an NFL uniform and play in a game. I’m one of the ones who don’t have to worry about that. It’s like the Navy Seals (laughs), that’s not the easiest club to get into and that’s how I feel. I’m just blessed.
SB: The draft is now approaching us, what will be going through their heads now?
JH: Oh, just wondering. You’ve got guys who are going to be scared to death. You’ve got guys who are going to be even-keel and you’ve got guys who are going to be over confident. I would tell them, just leave it alone you need to be even-keel, right down the middle, 50 50. At the end of the day there are going to be a lot of guys who will be shocked during the draft. If they get drafted or the get drafted higher than they think or shocked because they get drafted where they were not supposed to get drafted. There will also be those who think they should have been drafted who didn’t. There’s going to be a lot of shock three ways.
SB: What is your take on this year’s Draft Class? Is there anyone you think will be a big player?
JH: You can’t tell. You never can tell. Everybody can project the first round, they might get that wrong. If you look back at previous all-star games they are made up 3rd round to later draft picks. It’s just the way it is. The first round doesn’t guarantee you nothing. A lot of these guys that get big contracts aren’t first round draft picks; they’ve just stayed through the tough times and they came out on top. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter if you get drafted in the fourth or fifth round, it doesn’t mean you’re done (laughs). You’re nowhere close to being done. So that is the advice I give, be even-keel. The NFL will humble you real quick.
SB: A different aspect of the NFL, what is it like being a free agent, waiting for that phone call from a team?
JH: Free agency was a different situation, I knew I was going to go somewhere. So it was just me choosing the right situation that’s all. I can imagine what it’s like not knowing where you’re going to go or if someone even wants to bring you in, I can imagine what it is like. If you’re a free agent knowing you’re going to get paid it’s different, if you get released and you’re a free agent, that’s rough. You don’t know if you’re going to get that phone call and that’s the tough part.
SB: What’s the best thing about playing in the NFL?
JH: I don’t know. You just look at it and you say all these years of hard work and then you look at your helmet and realise this is one of the helmets I’ve watched for years on TV and now I can sit here and say it doesn’t get any higher. You can make the Hall of Fame but there is no Hall of Fame league. It’s the pinnacle of American Football. It’s like the Word Cup is the pinnacle of football (soccer), it doesn’t matter what league you play, UEFA or MLS there is no higher than the World Cup. The NBA there is nothing higher than the NBA unless you go to the Olympics.
SB: When you were growing up was there any player you aspired to be?
JH: No, not really. I was a big Steve Young fan but obviously I didn’t want to be him but I love Steve Young. Growing up I was definitely a 49ers fan.
SB: What was your best moment in the NFL?
JH: 2007 when we went to the play-offs for the first time in Tampa. When I was in Carolina we went to the Championship game and lost to Seattle but I didn’t play, so it didn’t really hit home.
SB: Who was the best franchise you played for?
JH: Hands down Tampa. That was when football was fun it was real football. A great organization, great coaches, great players. It was everything you ever dreamed of. I felt like every day when I came to work that I would take a bullet for my teammates; not just the D-line, the O-linemen and the fullback, everyone. That’s how much love we had for each other. Not everywhere felt the same.
SB: Who was the best player you played with or against?
JH: Best player I have played against? (thinks) I would say Michael Vick. Old school Michael Vick, Falcons Michael Vick. Best player I played with? Derrick Brooks. Wait, actually it would have to be Derrick Brooks and Julius Peppers. Old school Julius Peppers, not current Julius Peppers, I didn’t play with that one (laughs).
SB: Who was the best coach you played under?
JH: Oh my gosh. Monte Kiffin or Jon Gruden.
SB: As I’m from England, I’d love to know your opinion on a franchise moving to London?
JH: Terrible (repeated). I love you guys. You guys are awesome, I have relatives who live there. I just don’t see a franchise moving there. There are too many things that would need to happen for that to work. I have a friend and right now his team is thinking of moving to another city, he doesn’t even want to move to another city. So I can imagine what it would be like if you moved the Rams or the Raiders to London. Rivers doesn’t even want to move to LA so imagine moving a guy who’s been in America his whole life and move him to London! It’s a terrible idea. I would rather them do this. My honest opinion is them doing 16 games in London . If they could pull that off you won’t have to have one team in London. Every week two NFL teams will play their game in London. There you go you’ve solved the issue. As a player I never went to London but I’ve talked to people who have and they’ve said “If we are going to go all that way to play football, we are going to enjoy that city”. Then if you have a franchise you’ve got to play the away games, imagine what they are going to look like. If I’m in London and I’ve got to go to San Francisco and Miami. Do you think they are really going to want to go across? Going there 8 times a season.
SB: If you couldn’t play American football, what other sport would you of played?
JH: (Thinks). Oh boy, Basketball even though I wasn’t good at it (laughs).
SB: Would you ever consider going back into sport or coaching?
JH: No, no. I’m not for that. I’d rather watch than be directly involved (laughs).
SB: What plans do you have for the future?
JH: Honestly just taking it day by day and hopefully I can turn some of my businesses into Fortune500 companies. Just prosperous and well-known companies but it’s just day to day.