7 Things to Know About Eric Mayes
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, AUG. 24, 2018 – USF fans know
Eric Mayes as a trusty, left tackle who is preparing for a super senior season with the Bulls.
But there's much more to No. 55, a "big kid" who loves to make his teammates laugh and put a smile on children's faces. One day, Mayes might even be protecting you as a SWAT team member and he'll most certainly be watching cartoons when his shift is done.
Learn more about one of USF's most interesting men below.
Mayes Wants His 'Presence to Be Known'
Eric Mayes is a shining example of a dedicated player who made a successful position switch in college.
Back in 2016, Mayes officially moved from the defensive line to offensive line and saw action in three games as the Bulls' No. 2 right tackle.
"As days went on, I gradually improved, which made me be like, 'You know what, I'm going to stick with it because I got good in such a short amount of time," said Mayes, who used to meet with former USF head coach Willie Taggart every day to learn the plays.
Mayes earned USF's top left tackle spot in 2017, starting all 12 games and helping the Bulls rank sixth nationally in total offense (513.0 ypc) and eighth in rushing offense (264.1 ypg).
"Last season was a great experience," he said. "I really enjoyed that season, but this year I want my presence to be known. I want to play nastier, more dominant. I want to be more physical."
Mayes Didn't Find Playing On The O-Line 'Cool' Before Becoming An Offensive Tackle
Mayes headed to USF as a defensive-minded player who didn't think much of offensive linemen after racking up 24 sacks in two seasons at Booker High School in Sarasota.
"Growing up, I thought if you played on the offensive line you're not cool," he said. "Your name isn't mentioned on the jumbotron. They're not saying, 'Mayes on the tackle,' or anything like that. I figured offensive line is a bunch of nobodies."
Mayes' mindset changed quite a bit in spring 2015 when he saw an opportunity to play on USF's tough offensive line and volunteered for duty.
"After practice, I hollered at Coach T and he was like, 'I've been waiting for you to tell me this for a long time,'" he said.
Mayes was totally sold on the switch by the end of the 2016 season after playing a role in the Bulls' up-tempo attack that set school records with 77 touchdowns, 47 rushing touchdowns (third in the FBS), 3,709 rushing yards and 6,650 yards of total offense.
Now Mayes thinks it's pretty cool that he's able to play offensive tackle with the same aggressive approach he used to become an all-state defensive lineman at Booker High School.
"To be a good offensive lineman, you must have to be like a dog – nasty on the field, no one will beat me, no one will get my quarterback," he said. "Being nice on the offensive line will get you nowhere. I'm a nasty guy. You can't make it up. You either have it or you don't."
Late Start in Pads
Mayes' earliest memory on the gridiron was when he was 6 years old playing all positions in flag football, especially quarterback.
"Those were my skinny days," said Mayes, now 6-feet-4 and 296 pounds.
Mayes didn't get to continue his football career until high school because he couldn't make weight limits in padded youth leagues.
"I hated football just for that," he said. "When I got introduced to basketball, they didn't have any weight limits. I was like, 'Man, this is the sport for me.'"
Mayes eventually ended his NBA dreams when he realized he was too short to become a dominating center. A football coach came calling during his 11
th grade year, when Mayes agreed to give offensive line a try.
Mayes said he got ran over during his first practice and didn't return to the field for a month.
"I told them I'm never going back out there, then my momma (Michele Butler) made me go out there," he said. "I went out there again, but this time (coach) tried me at D-line. I played D-end and that's when it was over with. I fell in love with it."
The Joker Likes to Uplift
Mayes' tough-guy persona is limited to the football field because he's a fun-loving guy on the sidelines, definitely in the locker room and off campus, where he likes to go bowling and play paintball with teammates.
"People think I'm the funniest guy on the team, I just like to make people smile," he said. "My thing is if I can make at least five people smile a day, I feel good about myself. I feel like I made somebody else's day."
Growing up, Mayes would always enjoy making his friends laugh outside the house and away from his four sisters.
"They'd always gang up on me," he said with a smile.
Mayes Loves the Kids
Mayes' mission of making people smile is in full effect when he jumps at the chance of doing community service projects with the USF football team at the Boys & Girls Club.
"Kids love to dance," he said. "You just do funny things with them."
Mayes developed his love for brightening children's lives during his high school sophomore year when he worked with kids ages 5-7 at the Robert E. Taylor Community Center in Sarasota.
"I'm a big kid myself, so if you put me around kids there will never be a dull moment," he said. "The energy they bring is great, positive energy."
Keep the Cartoons on
Another reason why Mayes can relate to kids so well is because he watches the same shows they do.
"I've been watching (cartoons) since I was a kid," he said. "I'll never stop watching."
Although he's in his 20s, Mayes' current favorite shows include "The Three Bears" and "Teen Titans." Over the summer, he was into "SpongeBob SquarePants" along with movies like "Moana" and "The Boss Baby."
It's safe to say his USF football team members don't share the same interest.
"(My teammates) grab my remote and watch ESPN," Mayes said. "They don't like cartoons. Unless it's a big basketball game, I don't' watch sports too much… Cartoons put me in a peaceful mode."
From Offensive Lineman to SWAT Officer
Mayes wants to see how far football takes him, but he's got a really cool plan for after he hangs up the pads.
This past spring, Mayes graduated with a degree in criminology, which he looks to use in a future law enforcement career.
"I want to join the police force," he said. "I want to get into SWAT. I want to do stuff like that, stuff that gives you an adrenaline rush."
Who knows, Mayes might even be protecting a community near you one day and the teamwork skills he's developing at USF will certainly pay off.
"If a job presents itself to me, I'll take it," he said. "… Wherever it takes me, that's where I really want to go. I'm really open to anything, anywhere."
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
USF posted its second straight 10-win season in 2017 (10-2) by winning its second straight Birmingham Bowl with a 38-34 victory over Texas Tech. USF is one of just 15 teams nationally to win 20-plus games in the last two seasons (21-4) and posted a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the top 25, reaching as high as No. 13 in Week 8 of the 2017 season. The Bulls have won five of their last six bowl appearances and made nine (6-3) total bowl appearances in 21 seasons, including a current run of three straight bowls. USF won a program-record 11 games in 2016 (11-2) and has posted 14 winning seasons. The USF program, which first took the field in 1997, reached No. 2 in the rankings in 2007 and has seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and had 28 first-team all-conference selections.
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