Stafford Earl Mays (born March 13, 1958) is a former American football defensive tackle.

Life and career

Mays was born in Lawrence, Kansas. He went to Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington. Mays played junior college football at Mount Hood Community College. He later played college football at the University of Washington. Mays played in the National Football League as a defensive end and defensive tackle for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings between 1980 and 1988. Mays later worked as an executive at Microsoft. Mays's son, Taylor Mays, was a standout player at O'Dea High School in Seattle and then the University of Southern California. He went on to play safety in both the NFL and CFL.