U's unforgettable, undeniable Jon Hays

He won’t be on my list great players I’ve seen. Jon Hays won’t be on my list of great interviews, either.

But I will rate the Utah quarterback one of the more interesting people I’ve ever covered.

This is a guy who wasn’t supposed to be playing Division I football. But he ended up beating four Pac-12 and two ACC teams, including a Sun Bowl victory.

Beyond that, Hays is among the more unflappable players I’ve covered. Ever. He never got defensive when asked about his shortcomings during the season. Better still, he never went to the I-told-you-so card when he did succeed. He even admitted when he didn’t play well.

When he threw a 74-yard TD interception in the Sun Bowl, he came back with two touchdown passes and executed the winning drive. He seemed to take it all with a sort of laid back reserve.

He never showed a lot of emotion, either high or low — which served him well.

For that reason, he is on my list of most interesting people I’ve covered. I won’t likely see him in the NFL. I might not even see much of him next season. But he’ll be there in my memory, I promise.