Many fans of the National Football League, especially those that have been closely following the Indianapolis Colts, the Atlanta Falcons or the Chicago Bears know about Kelvin Hayden. He was a highly regarded player for all of these franchises (most noteworthy being the Colts) for the span of his nearly 10 year professional career in the NFL. While you might recognize the name, here are some things you might not have known about the football player both on and off the field:
He Hails From Chicago
As so many quality football players have been, Hayden was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Very early on, Hayden would show an active interest in football, and it would start shaping into a strong possibility for him to pursue through his high school years at Hubbard High School. That’s what made his 3 year span with the Bears such an iconic career moment for him, coming back home to finish his impressive NFL career as a professional cornerback.
He Pursued Football Through College at Illinois
While he fielded offers from several schools all over the country, Hayden eventually decided that he intended to stay in-state and play for the team that he had grown up rooting for: Illinois University. The Fighting Illini were happy to have his commitment, and he became a breakout star at the collegiate level, gaining a lot of buzz from hungry professional recruiting staff looking to beef up their defenses.
He Was An Early Draft Pick
Filling a spot that Indianapolis was desperately needing at the time, Hayden was selected at the end of the second round of the NFL Draft. He was among the top prospects for the position at the time, and instantly found a home as a Colt. His successes on the field would get him a Super Bowl ring for Super Bowl XLI with the Colts. This happened the season after his inaugural year with Indianapolis.
He Is Currently Dating Taraji P. Henson
There is something to be said about dating one of the most successful women on television, and somehow Kelvin Hayden has been managing to do that for 2 years now, according to a recent interview with Taraji P. Henson. Her successful role on the highly rated show Empire has kept her in the spotlight, though she had preferred to keep the tabloids and the media in general out of her romantic affairs.
Was Involved In A Scandal
Unfortunately, this is not easy to do. While recently confirming that the two were still together and very happy with one another, Taraji cannot forget the tabloid explosion that followed allegations that Hayden was stepping out via SnapChat messages sent to his ex-girlfriend way back in 2015. This is when the couple would have just started being seen together, so it appears as though there was little validity to the rumor, or it was something the couple felt that they could work through.
If you didn’t know Kelvin Hayden much before, now you have a little backstory about his personal and professional life. While he might have hung things up in the NFL, he is never going to be fully out of the limelight with Taraji P. Henson.
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