Looking back on his high school career, senior Hayden Mays defines it using a single word: consistency. Mays has done shot put, discus throw and has had the position of offensive tackle (OT) in football.

1. What was the moment you decided you wanted to do shot put?

   Junior high. A couple of my friends were out doing it and it just seemed pretty fun, so I went out and joined and… I’ve enjoyed it more every year I’ve done it.

2.How did you train to get to where you are right now? 

   Just a lot of repetition, a lot of weight room. [The] weight room is a big part of getting strong, being faster is a big part of it and just taking the time to, you know, work on everything that you need to do….

3. Do you have a routine? 

   There’s nothing really specific. Just go out there, get warmed up, you know, and try… [to] build off every throw.

4. Which person has had the most impact on you, not just as an athlete, but as a person?

   I would say my father has had a huge impact on me. He’s always done what it took to, you know, always do the right thing and do what he needed to do. So, that was a great example for me to see.

   I mean, just recently he left his job and opened up a new business and started doing really well and so, just him following what he wanted to do and him helping people as a business has really set a good example for what I’m trying to do in the future.

5. What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome? 

   I’ve had some injuries… like… last year during football season I hurt my shoulder and, so that took a little bit to come back from. But, that’s really been the big thing, just making sure I stay healthy.

6. How do you make sure you stay healthy? 

   I do a lot of rehab, a lot of prehab. So, you know, when you get done with the training session, make sure you’re stretching, rolling out. Make sure your recovery is good, making sure you’re warming up thoroughly before you go throw or go lift. It really just helps to make sure that your body is moving right.

7. Can you tell us more about what shot put is? 

   Basically, in high school it’s 12 pounds, in college it’s 16, but it’s just a, it’s a metal ball. You put it on your neck, and you essentially push it off your neck. And, you know the idea is to create as much momentum on the ball as possible before you release it, so that helps you put more force into the ball, which makes it go further.

8. What are your goals coming out of high school? 

   I want to win state this year, and then in college, I want to get as good as possible. I want to throw really far. I want to maybe win conference in college. So, that’s a big goal of mine.

9. How was it like getting accepted into Auburn? 

   It was really cool. The people down… there are great, you know, and that was a huge reason why I went there. But yeah, they’re great people, and they’re great at what they do, and so it was a great feeling being able to say I’m going there.

10. If you had a lesson you wanted to tell everybody, what would that lesson be? 

   Just get out and work, I would say, is a big thing. You know, whether you know a hundred percent what you’re doing or not, going out there and putting in the effort is always going to make you better in some capacity.