“Pinky is absolutely the laziest dog I ever had, but she loves to be around you. She doesn’t like to do too much playing,” says the third-season Tennessee Titan defensive end, William Hayes of his lethargic American bulldog. “She just lays under you and chills. I think she fits my lifestyle the most because I’m always on the road or at practice and she doesn’t require a whole lot of activity. She’s a good fit for me.”

Ironically, though, you wouldn’t think so at first look. Judging from the on-field performances of this six-foot-three, 272-pound powerhouse on any given Sunday, you would expect his pet to be just as dangerous as the man himself. 

Since his days of playing high school ball at Andrews High in High Point, NC and in college at Winston-Salem State University, Hayes has always been the aggressor on the grid iron. He has played everything from linebacker to free safety.

“I always played defense. I never played offense,” reflects the 25-year-old Hayes. “My dad didn’t believe in his boys playing offense. He just said ‘a real man hits. You don’t block for nobody.’ He made us attackers. I remember the coach wanted to put me at tight end he wouldn’t let me play it.”

A monster when number 95 is emblazoned on his back, he is quite the contrary when picking his pooch. Hayes has had Pinky for three weeks now and she has already painted the city with her new owner.

“We stay at the dog park. It’s a couple of restaurants downtown that have outdoor patios that I bring her to. I want her to get accustomed to other dogs and I don’t want her to be aggressive,” says Hayes from his Nashville apartment.

“The first time I went to the bank I told them my dog was outside in the car and they told me to bring her in. So every time I go there, they tell me to bring her in.”

But the pampering doesn’t stop there. At home, she is treated like royalty. “Eventually, my girl wants to start taking her to get her nails done. Yeah, a little pedicure,” he jokes. “Pinky is a diva. She thinks she runs the house. If she doesn’t want to do something, she’s not gonna do it. That’s her personality she feels like she runs everything around here.”

A dog enthusiast since childhood, there was always one or more of them in the Hayes’ household. “Every since I was a kid I always had dogs,” he said. “They were always fun to have around. They’re cool and they look good too.”