Rueben Mayes


Rueben Mayes is a Canadian former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League from 1986 to 1993. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his contributions while playing for the Washington State Cougars.

Early life and high school

He first gained notoriety as a running back at North Battleford Comprehensive High School in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. In 1980, Mayes led the NBCHS Vikings to an undefeated season and the SHSAA 3A provincial football championship. In 1981, he set a provincial record in the 100 metres at the SHSAA provincial track and field championship that still stands.

College career

Mayes played college football at the Washington State University in Pullman, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American and finished tenth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1984. Mayes set single-season and career-rushing school records with the Cougars, and established an NCAA record for most rushing yards in one game. It was the Pacific-10 Conference record for over a quarter century, until broken by Ka'Deem Carey in 2012.
In 1995, a panel of experts commissioned by The Spokesman-Review named Mayes to the all-time WSU team. The honor was repeated in 1998 by Cougfan.com when it picked its list of the school's all-time greatest players. On May 1, 2008 he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. In August 2017, a group of panelists commissioned by the Pac-12 Network picked the 12 greatest Washington State players of all time and Mayes ranked No. 1.

Professional career

Mayes was selected in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award that year from the Associated Press, and although his NFL career was hampered by injuries, he was named to the Pro Bowl twice. After five seasons with the Saints, Mayes was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in April 1992, where he played the final two years of his career.

Statistics

After football, Mayes became active in efforts to better educate at-risk youth. He later earned a master's degree and returned to WSU as an administrator. As of November 2018, he is Chief Development Officer at Pullman Regional Hospital. His son Logan was a three-star recruited linebacker at Marist Catholic High School in Eugene, Oregon, and committed to play at Washington State, following his father's footsteps.
Mayes is one of the only five Saskatchewan natives to make it to the NFL, the others were Arnie Weinmeister, Jon Ryan, Ben Heenan, and Brett Jones. Mayes was the subject of a 1989 documentary film, The Saint from North Battleford, directed by Selwyn Jacob.