D.J. Hayden’s Near Death Story


July 2, 2015

Have you ever reflected back on an event and said, If only I’d done this … or if only I’d done that … ?

When it comes to the harrowing tale of cornerback D.J. Hayden, if anyone had second-guessed their actions, the 2013 NFL Draft prospect would not be alive today.

It was Nov. 6, 2012, during a full-pads practice at the University of Houston.

Hayden was on one side of the field while freshman cornerback Trevon Stewart was on the other. Stewart idolized Hayden, even had a picture of him on his iPad from when Hayden was at Navarro Junior College. And once Stewart came to Houston, Hayden helped him adjust to college life, on and off the field.

“I really just took him under my wing like a little brother,” Hayden said.

Yet in one improbable, freakish moment in time, Stewart almost killed Hayden. Read Dr. Hayden’s story.