{"id":1988,"date":"2026-06-13T12:06:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T12:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1988"},"modified":"2026-06-13T12:06:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T12:06:33","slug":"neil-hayes-beloved-sportswriter-and-author-of-de-la-salle-football-book-passes-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1988","title":{"rendered":"Neil Hayes, beloved sportswriter and author of De La Salle football book, passes away"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Neil Hayes, a former Bay Area sportswriter whose best-selling book about De La Salle High School\u2019s football program was adapted into a blockbuster movie, passed away Wednesday night at his Illinois home after a decades-long battle with cancer. He was 58.<\/p>\n

Read more Today in History: June 13, American college student in a coma released by North Korea<\/a><\/p>\n

Hayes excelled as a Contra Costa Times columnist and sports reporter from 1991 to 2006 before moving to his native Illinois and working for the Chicago Sun-Times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever worked with anyone who cared more about this profession than Neil Hayes,\u201d said Mike Wolcott, a former CCT colleague and current Chico Enterprise-Record editor. \u201cHe was a fantastic idea person who loved collaborating on projects, and always saw possibilities in stories that most of us would have missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hayes\u2019 2003 book, \u201cWhen The Game Stands Tall,\u201d followed De La Salle\u2019s 2002 season with unrestricted access to share insights into one of the nation\u2019s most historically successful eras under then-coach Bob Ladouceur.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was always impressed by his passion and I admired his ability to break down games, athletes and coaches,\u201d Ladouceur said. \u201cHe had an eye for the game and an intuition to tell a story in a way that was authentic and meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jerry Micco was the CCT\u2019s sports editor when Hayes approached him with the idea of shadowing De La Salle\u2019s entire season.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe always pushed for doing more than doing less,\u201d Micco said. \u201cHe was a wonderful writer and, sometimes, a pain in the ass. In a good way. Neil always went big.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hayes\u2019 motivation for writing the book? It wasn\u2019t to someday, or actually 10 years later, work on a Louisiana set for the movie, which debuted in 2014 and reportedly grossed over $30 million.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cEven though I\u2019d gone on to cover other sports and NFL and stuff, I kept going back to De La Salle. My instincts were screaming, \u2018This is a great story,\u2019\u201d Hayes said in 2014. \u201cI finally pestered (Ladouceur) enough where he told me the only way I could find out what goes on is if I showed up every day for a year. I took that as an opening, and I did it. I had unbelievable access.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ladouceur and his longtime coaching assistant Terry Eidson became close with Hayes and continued that friendship over the decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always enjoyed having him on our practice field, in our locker room and on the sidelines of our games,\u201d Ladouceur added. \u201cThere is no one else I trusted more to tell our story and I am honored to have been able to call him a friend. He will be greatly missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cWhen The Game Stands Tall\u201d title also reflected Hayes\u2019 stature among his peers, and that book\/movie encapsulated his drive.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThat was all the product of one of the greatest writer\/reporter combos I\u2019ve ever met in the business,\u201d Brian Murphy said on his KNBR 680-AM morning show. \u201cWe love him. We have a rich history with him. And our hearts are with his family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hayes and Murphy co-authored a 2010 book, \u201cThe Last Putt: Two Teams, One Dream and a Freshman Named Tiger,\u201d about Tiger Woods\u2019 1995 initial year at Stanford.<\/p>\n

Hayes\u2019 tenure at the Contra Costa Times saw him ascend to several roles, and he also spearheaded an annual banquet for high school athletes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe once went to Buffalo to cover the Raiders game, and that became a sidelight,\u201d said Steve Corkran, who succeeded Hayes as the CCT\u2019s prep editor and Raiders\u2019 beat reporter. \u201cBefore the week was over, we went to Niagara Falls, saw the Sabers play, ate wings at the Anchor Bar, and then saw Springsteen\u2019s final show of his North American tour. And, oh by the way, we covered the Raiders game. To be around Neil meant you were in for an adventure. That was typical. That summed up his zest for life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Borenstein: The A\u2019s left Oakland but they still control the Coliseum. That must change.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cNeil was the consummate newspaperman. I still think of him walking around with a rolled-up newspaper in his back pocket,\u201d said Matt Maiocco, a former CCT colleague and a current 49ers reporter for NBC Sports Bay Area. \u201cHe loved to talk about the art of reporting and writing. I learned so much from those many conversations \u2014 usually over a cold drink \u2014 through the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

That included Maiocco backpacking into the Grand Canyon and Havasupai Falls two summers ago with Hayes, an avid hiker.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a dogged reporter and an entertaining writer, unafraid to ask tough questions or deal with sensitive topics,\u201d former CCT colleague Mike Lefkow said. \u201cMore importantly, he was a person everyone enjoyed being around. The sports department would light up when he was in the office.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added Wolcott: \u201cNeil also had that rare gift of lifting everyone around him \u2014 not just in the quality of their work, but also in their attitude and spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Micco, upon becoming the CCT\u2019s sports editor in March 1997, quickly learned that Hayes did not take shortcuts and would volunteer to do the extra column or go the extra mile.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeil never stopped wanting to do more and do it with excellence,\u201d Micco said. \u201cWe both had that so-called Type-A personality. He\u2019d push me and I\u2019d push him. He was always trying to make himself a better columnist. He was a hard worker and he expected the best from himself. Always.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ted Johnson, another former CCT reporter, said: \u201cI had the De La Salle beat, which Neil later took over, then wrote the famous book. Neil was like that. Smart.\u201d<\/p>\n

One humorous work-related anecdote involved Hayes taking charge and driving colleagues to the Raiders\u2019 infamous Tuck Rule playoff game at New England in January 2002. After stories were filed well past 2 a.m., Hayes warmed up the van and helped others clear snow from it, only to discover he had locked the keys in the running car \u2013 but they still made their early-morning flight home.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was so good about keeping in touch even after he moved to the Chicago area 20 years ago,\u201d Maiocco said. \u201cHe was always as interested in hearing the latest about my two daughters as he was excited to update me on the lives of Nick and Riley. I wish everybody could have a friend like Neil Hayes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former colleague Mitch Stephens maintains a vivid recollection of Hayes\u2019 personality and spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe man\u2019s giggle should be preserved on a loop or app for all to access to lift one\u2019s day or mood or soul,\u201d Stephens said. \u201c I haven\u2019t conversed with the man in decades but I can so clearly hear that laugh and see the mirth and twinkle in his eyes. Every exchange with Neil, in my experience, is upbeat and real.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephens recalled covering NCS wrestling with Hayes in Sonoma one year, stating: \u201cMy eyes got so fatigued from typing in all that stupid tiny fifth-place agate I couldn\u2019t see any more. Enter Neil\u2019s giddy giggle. Got me through. What a jewel! Who couldn\u2019t\/doesn\u2019t love Neil Hayes?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hayes hailed from Rochelle, Illinois, where he attended Rochelle Township High before going on to Northern Arizona University. He more recently lived in the Chicago suburb of Naperville and spent the past 13 years working as an author, freelance writer and motivational speaker.<\/p>\n

He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Charlee; their two children, Nick (wife Naomi Burton) and Riley; grandsons Henry (2) and Elliott (4 months); his mother, Marilyn; and, his older brothers, Matt and Dan.<\/p>\n

A burial is planned June 20 in Rochelle, Illinois, and a celebration of life will take place nearby the following day.<\/p>\n

Read more Folarin Balogun, who could have played for England or Nigeria, scores 2 for US in World Cup debut<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neil Hayes, a former Bay Area sports reporter and author of a book-turned-movie about De La Salle High’s football program, has passed away after a long, valiant battle with cancer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nNeil Hayes, beloved sportswriter and author of De La Salle football book, passes away - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1988\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Neil Hayes, beloved sportswriter and author of De La Salle football book, passes away - 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