Maxwell Hairston (Buffalo Bills Photo)
Going into last season it was obvious that Maxwell Hairston was the No. 1 player among Kentucky defensive backs and despite missing time with an injury he still became a first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills.
“Extremely proud of his hard work and what he’s doing,” said UK co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Chris Collins. “Had a chance to talk with him the other day when he was starting (training) camp. I just reminded him of the process and being committed to it.
“I’m really excited to see what he’ll do as a rookie and the remainder of his NFL career for sure. He’s very influential in that (defensive backs) room in terms of what we’ve been able to carry forward.”
Collins said on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk that Hairston learned from others and then he “took pride in paying that forward when he became the guy” in the secondary.
Collins said when he first joined the UK staff that current Green Bay cornerback Carrington Valentine and others were role models for younger players like Hairston.
“Passing down to the younger guys in the room how to be a pro, how to take care of your body, how to prepare, how to come to meetings, how to engage in meetings,” Collins said. “It wasn’t just in the room just coming from myself, coach (Brad) White and coach (Mark) Stoops. It was coming from the players.
“Max was able to be a beneficiary of that and he always took pride in paying it forward. We continue to grow. We’re always looking for that next generation to pay it forward to those younger guys.”
One Response
He had a scary moment yesterday during practice. His knee just gave out and fell to the ground thought he may have torn ACL. Turn out negative got a LCL sprain which is good news. He will miss some time on practice, but expect be back soon.