Ahmad Hayes

by Michael Condiff L* a father recalling his child’s first foot steps, the fond grin across the face of Kelly his power-prodigy, senior Ahmad Hayes, stepped up to a squat rack at an invitational meet. Bonner can’t help but laugh. “Here he is, this 195 pound sophomore, and he gets 550 the first time out,” Bonner says. him...they couldn’t believe it.” guys haven't seen anything yet.” “The kid has so many tools left.”

“His first time in the weight room he squatted 550 pounds.”

Two years and 70 pounds of muscle “Ahmad was more disappointed later, folks are still gawking at Ahmad Hayes.

At 6-foot-2, with 32-inch thighs and pipeline arms, he is physically imposing. walks into a weight room, eyes still stare and jaws still drop.

They hit the floor on April 3.

At the 1993 Texas Powerlifting Championships on the campus of about not getting the record than not winning state again,” Bonner said.

Jast year (in the 242-pound weight class), that senior year was just convincing himself to stay challenge was gone for him. with powerlifting.

Hayes—an articulate 18-year-old, who is the Senior Class President and will attend Southern Methodist University next fall on a football scholarship (he is expected to break the twodeep chart at middle linebacker as a freshman). in the 1980s and was 60 pounds more than any other lifter at the meet even attempted Unsatisfied, Hayes then went after the high school deadlift record of 715 pounds owned by Willie Kelly of Corsicana—but failed. He could have played it safe, gone for a lighter deadlift weight, and guaranteed himself a second straight state title. But Hayes wanted the second record.

to Chris Akins of Paris—a monstrous 320- pounder who finished with a 1,910 total in bench, squat and deadlift.

Hayes wanted to be a high school and collegiate wrestler. But, when his family moved to Cedar Hill during his sophomore year, Hayes was forced to find a new athletic outlet.

Hill had no high school wrestling program, so, at the urging of coaches, Hayes gave powerlifting a shot. pound squat record and winning a state title mark of 810 set by Marcus Henry of Houston there’s always a bigger challenge. the meet. The lift eclipsed the previous When you're competing against the weight, ted 450 pounds. “| had never lifted weights before in my life,” he said. year was over, the coaches were having to drag me out of the weight room. [ loved it becauseI could set a new goal for myself every day.

(1,805 pounds total) in 1992, Hayes’ enthusiasm for the sport wavered. cles are so tired, but you feel so good. school football season, he talked of skipping unique experience.” the powerlifting schedule altogether. enjoyed without the use of steroids, for which he and Bonner both take great pride. year...and when I missed it, it messed with me for a while,” Hayes said. “I was hiding out.

Ithe last three years; he doesn’t mess with that kept asking myself —and everybody else kept stuff.” says Bonner, who is vice-president of asking—'Are you going to squat 800 or not.’ [ was afraid that if I couldn’t do it, I would let a Association, which has taken a hard-and-firm lot of people down.

Stance against steroid use. afraid of letting myself down.”

Once Hayes decided to confront his fears, the 800-pound barrier softened. money, I probably would have used (steroids) when I was younger, just because the young would routinely surpass the weight in workguys are so focused on getting bigger as fast as outs, but could not reach his goal of a certified they can. But, now I’m glad I didn’t make that lift until a regional meet in March. mistake.

Alzado on TV with brain cancer (which was pound mental block out of the way,” Hayes believed to be caused by excessive steroid use). said.

T remember how big, how mean that guy used “When [ couldn't do it last year, it felt like the weight was crushing me. to be and then I looked at what the steroids and was at regionals and I knew I was finally going to do it, I couldn’t believe it. pounds is like nothing.

“Tt was sad.” again with a new goal.”

Eventually, Hayes hopes to become an Olympic powerlifter. He plans to curtail his power training in college to enhance his speed (4.65 in the 40-yard dash) and improve his Ahmad’s powerful legs give him a 33” chances of staying off the defensive or offenvertical jump and 4.65 — 40 yard dash sive lines.

League does not come calling in 1998, he the plans to resume his power training and set sights on the Olympics.

“T love football because it’s like a family sport, whereas powerlifting is so individual.” Hayes said. football after college, then [ definitely want to give the Olympics a shot. up they are. It just looks exciting.

SAT score and will attend SMU this Fall.

1,035 pounds in the squat. would be a challenge.”

For now, Hayes enjoys his two-hour , five-days-a-week afternoon workout sessions:

“A work out—it’s like a high would be, almost,” Hayes said. “When your legs are so worn out that you can’t even drive home because you can’t contro! the Ahmad has enormous 32” thighs

From BFS Magazine — Summer 1993. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).