'Pay it back': Muncie football great Brandon Hayes uplifting youth through 3rd & 11 Inc.

MUNCIE, Ind. — Looking out the window of his Northside Middle School classroom, Brandon Hayes could envision his new purpose.

Ball State University was building its Scheumann Family Indoor Practice Facility, a two-year, $15 million project that, despite being a few hundred feet away, felt like a world Hayes' students would never experience.

That moment, like so many others in Hayes' life, seemed meant to be. He decided to use his resources and influence to make a difference in his hometown, and soon 3rd & 11 Inc. was born.

“Something just clicked. I was like, ‘It would be cool if Muncie kids could have a camp in that facility and see it,'" Hayes said "‘See it, believe it, achieve it.’ If we never give them the opportunity to see different things from what they normally see, how do we expect them to change and dream and want for more?”

'Here's your opportunity'

Hayes' mother, Loyce Hill, died in 2017. He had been working as a probation officer in Dayton, Ohio, for 13 years, dealing with addicts as the opioid epidemic expanded, and that never-ending grind made Hayes seek different work.

Hill pushed Hayes to return to Central State University and earn his bachelor's degree in history, and then a master's degree in education in 2017. He'd always wanted to be a teacher and coach but never found the right situation, so this transitional period felt like the right time to pursue those desires in his hometown of Muncie.

“My mom kind of always created certain opportunities for me," Hayes said. "I felt like by her passing, this is her saying, ‘Hey, here’s your opportunity to come back home where people know you and do your teaching and coaching.’”

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Hayes moved into his mother's home in 2018, and still refers to it as "her house."

He found the change funny, remembering his vow to never again live in Muncie after graduating from Southside High School as an All-State football lineman in 1991. But then he remembered an old quote, "If you want to hear God laugh, you tell him your plan."

Hayes enjoyed unique experiences during his time as a NAIA All-American and 1992 national champion at CSU, as well as a member of the NFL's Carolina Panthers and the Indianapolis Colts, yet felt compelled to impart his acquired perspective to Muncie's next generations rather than leave his past behind.

His teaching career began as a substitute around town, eventually landing a permanent position at Northside teaching social studies. He turned down a job at the Youth Opportunity Center in order to "pay it back" directly to the community's youth.

“I had a lot of good teachers growing up, didn’t have a lot of teachers that looked like me, especially male," Hayes said. "It was a good opportunity to show them, ‘Hey, I was raised by a single parent, I’m from Muncie, I did it, you can do it too.’”

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Yet for several years prior to teaching, Hayes contemplated creating an organization to help kids succeed outside of the school day. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Hayes felt that was the right time to make his dream a reality.

He calls 3rd & 11 Inc., named as both a nod to his March 11 birthday and a metaphor for the difficult circumstances children from impoverished communities face, his "pandemic baby."

“It was almost like a calling," Hayes said. "I believe in karma, so I was like, ‘If I’m going to be here, I’m want to try to do the most I can.’”

'God is directing me'

Hayes originally sought to get kids active by holding football combines. BSU never called back about using its new facility, so he partnered with Muncie Parks Department Programming Director George Foley and the John Frank Football League to reserve other spaces and fund the printing of T-shirts and participation certificates.

3rd & 11 Inc. held four such events, putting kids from kindergarten through eighth grade through the 40-yard dash, cone and shuttle drills, bench press/pushup challenges and the broad jump, all measurables the NFL uses to evaluate draft prospects during its annual combine.

Trophies were only given to first-place winners in each group, though, as Hayes wants the kids to be motivated to improve. The main objective was to promote both physical health and to give the participants an activity to improve upon, and it was gratifying for Hayes to see participants return and say they'd been working on their performance.

The scope of the organization then shifted. Bringing on more partners, like the NAACP, Ivy Tech Community College and its Muncie Youth Empowerment Program and others, Hayes began organizing trips outside of town.

The first outing assured Hayes this project was worth continuing.

By happenstance, the Panthers and the Colts, Hayes' former teams, were practicing together in Indianapolis. Hayes reached out to his contacts in the teams' front offices, and he got tickets with VIP access to their joint practice and subsequent preseason game. The kids even got to meet future Hall of Fame receiver Steve Smith Sr.

“It’s like I’m just floating down a lazy river and God is directing me and things just work out," Hayes said. "What’s the chances we got all this going and Carolina shows up and they’re practicing here in Indy?”

Then there was the trip to Ohio State University to see the HBCU Classic game involving his alma mater, followed by a tour of Central State and journey to the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center.

Groups later traveled to the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, and other HBCU campuses. They also participated in financial literacy classes.

3rd & 11 Inc. has expanded from an idea of engaging Muncie's youth in physical activity to promoting and empowering children who otherwise don't have access to such opportunities.

Christal Johnson, mother of participant Stuart "Zach" Stovall, 17, said her son's interest in secondary education has broadened through these events. Stovall's experience touring Central State made him initiate tours of other HBCU campuses, and Johnson is adamant about how impactful physically experiencing life outside of Muncie can be on young kids who know nothing else.

“What 3rd & 11 has allowed him is more opportunities beyond sports. Especially when you think about the African American male, a lot of times athleticism is their ticket, quote unquote, ‘out,’" Johnson said. "3rd & 11 has been able to provide for us is a sense of community, an opportunity to network and be exposed to some things that I and/or his dad may not be able to expose him to.

“I wish the Muncie community would realize what a gem and jewel and opportunity this is, not only for their own children, but also everyone else’s children.”

Next steps

Hayes never thought his idea would blossom so quickly. He would've been pleased with just the combines, but after seeing the impact and greater potential of his efforts, he's motivated to expand the capabilities of 3rd & 11 Inc.

This fall, Hayes and a group 35-40 kids will travel to Canton, Ohio, to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame, watch the HOF HBCU Classic game at Kent State University, and visit the Paul Laurence Dunbar House in Dayton on the way there.

The timing couldn't be better because linebacker Sam Mills, Hayes' former Panthers teammate, is being inducted to the HOF this year.

“It’s stuff like this to be like, ‘It’s a no-brainer. We’ve got to make this happen,'" Hayes said.

Hayes also hopes to take a group to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., in the near future, as well as continue promoting financial literacy classes. He'd love to gather more resources and helpers to allow for more local participants and trips, but he hasn't thought too far ahead just yet.

For now, Hayes will continue utilizing his name-recognition, influence and the excitement over what 3rd & 11 Inc. has already accomplished to garner more interest from locals, aiming to get them participating in fun sports-related and educational events.

Foley is glad he and the Parks Department were able to get 3rd & 11 Inc. off the ground, and he has no doubt Hayes, with his blend of life experience and infectious personality, will enjoy continued success.

“I look for him to go next level," Foley said. "You can tell it’s going in a different place ... I definitely look for 3rd & 11 to go not just local, but state-level, probably national level.”

Hayes knows community-wide change won't happen overnight, or from just one person or organization. He hopes the efforts of him and his partners are one step toward building a new foundation for local youth.

His mother conditioned him to give back, and Hayes' goal is to inspire others to pay it forward. When he sees kids around town and in school wearing 3rd & 11 Inc. shirts, he hopes that leaves a lasting message.

"You might only help one or two kids, but you never know who those one or two kids are going to turn out to be. I look at it like I’m put here for some odd reason, it’s not for me," Hayes said. "You never know how you may affect somebody and trigger then to do bigger and better things.”

Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com or 765-729-4742.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Southside High School football great uplifts youth with 3rd & 11 Inc.