The Arizona Cardinals picked Hayden Conner to help out their offensive line and help them reach the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 2021. Who knew he could also help them get to the International Space Station if they so desired?
The offensive lineman, whom the Cardinals picked in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has more than an impressive reach and a deep understanding of the game. He has a mind that would take him to the moon and back, if not for one major issue blocking his way.
He’s too tall.
Hayden Conner is too big to go into space
When Conner called into the Brickley & Marotta show on May 14, the hosts raved about the new rookie’s football intelligence, before asking about his other intellectual pursuits. Hayden majored in Geography (with a minor in Communication) at the University of Texas. And he told the hosts that his knowledge pursuits “have changed, once I realized I might be too big to go to space.”
“Growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut,” said Conner. “I realized there is a height limit. I think it’s like 6’3.” Hayden—who is 6-foot-6—is well over that line.
“I want to help people get to space,” said Conner, who reportedly wants to work in the aerospace industry once his football career ends. If that avenue is closed, he’s also “very passionate about animal shelters.”
Hayden made the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and was a semifinalist for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy (which honors college athletes that serve their community) after creating “Paws for a Cause,” a donation drive benefiting the Austin Animal Center and MUTTS Canine Cantina.
“I’ve got a wide range of interests,” Conner told Brickley & Marotta, “but going to space is still in my back pocket.”
Conner is Intelligent And Violent (When He Needs To Be)
Conner spoke about his initial experiences with the Cardinals organization. “It’s been extremely fast, but it’s been a lot of fun so far,” he said. “Just trying to buy into the culture that [head coach Jonathan Gannon] is trying to set and trying to learn my playbook and take notes from the older guys.”
One thing that helps Conner is his noted Football I.Q. “I think it gives me a lot of versatility and flexibility in terms of being able to play all five (positions),” he said. “It allows me to understand certain concepts differently than other people, but this isn’t college offense anymore. So it’s definitely an adjustment period, for sure, but I feel like I’m adjusting pretty well.”
Conner also addressed how well he’s fitting into Coach Gannon’s reported love of “violent” football. The Texas Longhorn says he can be violent when he needs to be and controlled when he needs to be.
“That’s one of my strengths. I tend to not like to be out of position,” Conner said. “But when I have the opportunity to be violent and let it loose, I do that.”
While Conner may not be heading to the ISS anytime soon (until they decide to make an XXL space shuttle), here’s hoping he can help the Cardinals make it to the postseason.