Former Jaguars and Florida State linebacker Geno Hayes passed away Monday night after a two-year battle with Stage 3 liver disease. Hayes was just 33-years old.
Hayes played two seasons in Jacksonville, appearing in 30 games with 25 starts between 2013-2014. He recorded 128 total tackles (11 TFL), three sacks, two interceptions, four passes defended and two forced fumbles during his Jaguars tenure.
Hayes was drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spending four seasons in Tampa and one in Chicago before landing in Jacksonville.
At Florida State, Hayes was second on the team in tackles his junior and final season with 94. He played in 36 games for the Noles.
A graduate of Madison County, Hayes was put on the waiting list for a liver transplant at the Mayo Clinic and Northwestern Medical in December. He detailed his fight against liver disease to ESPN earlier this year, noting he had been hospitalized 20 times in the last year. He entered hospice care last week at his parents' home in Valdosta.
Hayes leaves behind his wife, Shevelle, and children Gemarii, 13, and Skylar, 8.
