By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Clay Center star Brody Hayes has played in 10 games in his two-year Washburn University football career, mainly on special teams, and has yet to make a start.
Washburn's 2026 football team captains -- Ty Weber (0), Tre Calhoun (1), Justin Lewis (2), Braiden Lagafuaina (3), Nate Lewis Jr. (4), Logan Madden (5), Brody Hayes (7), Cortlin Dalton (8) and JC Heim (9). Not pictured: Cam Robinson (6). [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But it's clear that the 6-foot, 205-pound sophomore safety has earned the respect of his Ichabod teammates, who selected him as one of 10 team captains for the upcoming 2026 season.
In both of Zach Watkins' two seasons as Washburn's head coach, the entire Ichabod team has voted for the 10 players they believe best fit WU's "Be The Standard'' motto and those 10 players will wear the single-digit jerseys -- 0 through 9 -- throughout the season.
And when the 10 captains were announced earlier this week, Hayes, who will wear No. 7 this fall, was both honored and more than a little bit humbled to be on the list.
"I was so happy, it was so awesome,'' Hayes said. "It's good to know that I have the respect from my teammates and they're willing to trust me to go out there and do whatever it takes to win. It's just such a good feeling when you know you're representing your guys and that they trust you and they selected you to be in that position.
"I was truly blessed and couldn't thank them enough for allowing me this opportunity. I think that I'm ready for the jump into this role. I take everything that I do very seriously, whether that's film, training, all that. I try to be very mature in how I prepare for everything. I'm ready to go and I think that's just a testament to how seriously I try to take everything that I do.''
Watkins said that Hayes, whose father, Patrick, played football at Washburn while his mother, Arica, played volleyball for the Ichabods, is a great representative for the Washburn program.
"Our program model is "Be The Standard'' and he's the standard on and off the field of how you want a football player to play,'' Watkins said. "He's physical as hell. He's shown up from Day 1 of training camp even without pads on being physical and that's going to lead him to have a really good season.''
Joining Hayes as single-digit captains are Washburn Rural products Ty Weber (senior tight end) and JC Heim (junior linebacker), along with sophomore wide receiver Tre Calhoun, graduate student quarterback Justin Lewis, sophomore safety Braiden Lagafuaina, senior wide receiver Nate Lewis Jr., sophomore quarterback Logan Madden, junior running back Cam Robinson and junior safety Cortlin Dalton.
Weber, Heim and Justin Lewis were all selected as team captains for the second straight season.
"It's a very easy way for our team and coaches and fans and recruits and everybody to see the single-digits on the field and know that those guys represent what we call the standard,'' Watkins said. "It's a goal of guys to get that single-digit and it means a lot in our program.
"We want guys that do everything right on and off the field, guys who work hard, guys who are good academically. I'm really proud of our team. The 10 guys they elected are great and they fit what we're looking for in the perfect way.''
The Ichabods will open the 2026 season on Aug. 29, going on the road to face former MIAA foe Truman State (6 p.m.).
The Ichabods will make their home debut on Sept. 5 at Yager Stadium with a non-conference tilt against Colorado School of Mines (12 p.m.).
