At 6-foot-6, ex-Wildcat Chuck Hayes towers over the general population.  The only problem is, Hayes makes his living playing basketball against guys who are much taller.  Still, Hayes has been productive and kept a job in the NBA since 2005.

And he's done it against all odds. 

Coming out of UK, Hayes went undrafted, but has found a home in Houston.  Always a stand-up guy, and a player who gave every ounce of strength as a Wildcat, Hayes is one of those every-man players that you constantly root for.

The Rockets have an All-Star in Yao Ming, but the 7-foot-6 center has been sidelined with a season-ending foot injury.

Enter Hayes.

The Modesto, Calif. native has been in the starting lineup since last year's playoffs, and 20 games into this season, making Hayes the shortest regular starting center in NBA history.

Here's a great read on Hayes, courtesy Chris Tomasson of NBA Fanhouse:

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/12/08/houstons-hayes-the-shortest-center-in-nba-history/

Those are the highlights... Stay tuned.