Former North Dakota State quarterback Easton Stick had the winningest record in FCS history, and current Bison quarterback Nathan Hayes gave him a special nod before the program’s first FBS season.
Hayes has been wearing the No. 12, the same number that Stick wore, and the senior has switched to No. 2 ahead of being the likely starter this fall. Stick threw for 8,693 yards and 88 touchdowns in his career, and he helped lead the Bison to three FCS national championships.
“He set his legacy with twelve, so no one’s really been two yet. I kind of want to create my own name, my own legacy here,” Hayes told Bison 1660 AM on Thursday. “So I’m letting Easton have his twelve, and I’m going to be two for my senior year.”
Stick played for the Bison from 2015 to 2018, and he was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with a fifth-round pick as a backup to Justin Herbert. Now, Stick plays for the Atlanta Falcons as a backup to Michael Penix Jr.
Nathan Hayes Looking to Add to Bison QB Lineage
NDSU has a lineage of pro quarterbacks from the program, going back to when Brock Jensen got a shot with the Miami Dolphins in 2014 and played in the CFL. It picked up steam with Carson Wentz becoming the No. 2 pick in 2016 with the Philadelphia Eagles. Most recently, Cam Miller made it to the NFL, and Cole Payton is expecting his name to be called during the NFL Draft.
“That’s a big part of it, just the legacy, all the quarterbacks that came before me. Obviously, you know it’s a quarterback factory,” Hayes said. “I learned so much … from Cam and Cole being here. My legacy here my senior year is just going to be keeping that same thing going, try to coach the young guys up as much as possible so that next year, in the years to come, just keep passing that knowledge down so that we can keep improving, keep winning games.”
Nathan Hayes Waited His Turn
Hayes has sat behind Miller and Payton his entire career, and that has Hayes feeling all the more ready to take on Mountain West Conference competition for the first time.
“Just poise and leadership,” Hayes said about what he’s learned. “There was never a situation that was too big for those guys. So obviously everybody in our program can play, can make plays. That’s what has to be the difference for me, just being able to lead the guys, inspire.”
Hayes has played sparingly in relief of Miller or Payton with 37-63 passing for 595 yards and seven touchdowns versus an interception. Hayes also has 178 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 14 carries in his career.
Unlike his recent predecessors, Hayes has more new faces in terms of skill players than year’s past. A big part of that is losing wide receiver Bryce Lance to graduation and the draft.
“Yeah, the biggest thing is just the weight room in the winter, honestly, seeing everybody work. Everybody gets stronger,” Hayes said. “[If] someone has a bad play on the field, you can look to the guy next to you and trust him just because you saw all the work that he put in in the offseason.”
North Dakota State QB Does Favor For Easton Stick