Rueben Mayes

Infobox NFLretired


|caption=
position=Running back
number=36
birthdate=birth date and age|1963|6|6
North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada
debutyear=1986
finalyear=1993
draftyear=1986
draftround=3
draftpick=57
college=Washington State
teams=
* New Orleans Saints (1986-1991)
* Seattle Seahawks (1992-1993)
stat1label=Rushing Yards
stat1value=3,484
stat2label=Average
stat2value=4.0
stat3label=Touchdowns
stat3value=23
nfl=MAY453042
highlights=
* 2x Pro Bowl selection (1986, 1987)
* 2x All-Pro selection (1986, 1987)
* 1986 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
HOF=
CollegeHOF=

Rueben Mayes (born June 6, 1963 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Canadian who played in the National Football League from 1986 to 1993.

He first gained notoriety as a running back at North Battleford Comprehensive High School in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Mayes played for the Washington State University Cougars, where he became All-American and finished tenth in the Heisman Trophy race. Mayes set single-season and career-rushing records (1,632; 3,519 yards) with the Cougars, and established an NCAA record for most rushing yards in one game (357 vs. Oregon in 1984). That record remains the Pacific Ten Conference record.

He was drafted in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He proceeded to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award that year. Although his NFL career was hampered by injuries, he was named to the Pro Bowl twice. Mayes played four seasons with the Saints before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks for the final two years of his career. Mayes, without benefits afforded promising young players in the U.S., excelled in a skill position among the best-trained football players in the world.

In his NFL career, he carried the ball 866 times for 3,484 yards. He scored 23 touchdowns. 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.

May 1st, 2008 was elected to the US College Football Hall of Fame.

After football, Mayes became active in efforts to better educate at-risk youth. He would later earn a master's degree and return to Washington State University as an administrator.

He lives in Pullman with his wife Marie and his two sons Kellen and Logan Mayes

Rueben's sister Lesa Mayes-Stringer, is also into sports and making a name for herself.

He is one of the only three Saskatchewan natives to make it to the NFL, the other two being Arnie Weinmeister and Jon Ryan.

External links

* [http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=MAYESRUE01 NFL Stats]