For the first seven seasons of Adam Hayward’s professional career, Tampa Bay was home. It’s where he grew from a sixth-round draft pick to a special teams captain, from a kid fighting for a job to a leader and key contributor.
But when he suits up against his former team Sunday, all bets are off.
“I’m just looking forward to just smashing some people’s faces in, to be quite honest,” Hayward said.
The 30-year-old linebacker still has close ties with the Buccaneers, whom the Washington Redskins will host Sunday at FedEx Field. Hayward said he texted nose tackle Gerald McCoy when McCoy signed a lavish new contract earlier this season. And he still keeps in touch with several other players, including linebackers Lavonte David and Mason Foster and wide receiver Vincent Jackson.
After seven years, Hayward’s relationships with his former teammates linger. But this is a job, he says, and he has a new allegiance now.
“This is my team,” Hayward said, gesturing to the rest of the Redskins locker room. “I love these guys. I love playing with these guys.”
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Hayward moved from one NFC bottom-feeder to another last spring. The Buccaneers and Redskins went 7-25 last season and have only won four of their 18 combined games so far this year. Tampa Bay has looked particularly sluggish in recent weeks, losing five straight.
“They don’t look like it on paper,” Hayward said, “but they are a pretty good team.”
In his first season in Washington, Hayward has recorded only eight tackles and made a limited impact on defense. But he has also provided a veteran presence on special teams, an area in which he says the Redskins have steadily improved over the course of the season.
“Statistically, though, it looks bad,” Hayward said. “But if you actually do your homework and look at the numbers, we’re only a yard or two off from being a top-10 team. So we’re making our way there.”
Hayward made a handful of starts in recent seasons for Tampa Bay, which has since hired Leslie Frazier as its defensive coordinator.
Though the defensive scheme may have changed, some of the personnel and their tendencies have not. Hayward said he won’t hesitate to share everything he knows with quarterback Robert Griffin III and the Redskins offense.
“I’m snitching,” Hayward said with a smile. “I’m trying to win. No question.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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