Mike Haynes (cornerback) facts for kids

Michael James Haynes (born July 1, 1953) is a famous American former football player. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Raiders. Many people think he is one of the best cornerbacks ever. He was known for his amazing speed, strength, and quickness. This made him great at defense and also a fantastic punt returner.

Mike Haynes was honored in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. He was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. His skills were so impressive that he was named to the National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994. Later, he was also chosen for the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. These honors celebrate his amazing 14-year career.

In 1976, Haynes was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl nine times during his career. He was also a first-team All-Pro twice and a second-team All-Pro six times. He was even part of the National Football League 1980s All-Decade Team. His younger brother, Reggie Haynes, also played football as a tight end.

Early Life and High School Football

Mike Haynes grew up in Los Angeles, California. He went to T.S. King Middle School. Later, he played cornerback at John Marshall High School. He was so good that he was chosen as one of two all-star players from his team. This helped him continue his football journey.

Besides football, Mike was also a talented track and field athlete. He still holds the long jump record at John Marshall High School. In his senior year, 1971, he played both offense (as a quarterback) and defense (as a cornerback). Even though his team had a tough season, Mike's talent shone through. In 1986, John Marshall High School honored him by naming their football stadium after him.

Mike's athletic skills were truly special. In one track meet, he had to run the last part of a relay race. Then, he had to rest before his final long jump attempt. His rival team thought they had already won the championship. But Mike rested, then leaped an amazing 23 feet, 5 inches! This set a new school record and helped his team win the event and the league championship.

College Career at Arizona State

Mike Haynes played college football at Arizona State. He was a top player there, chosen three times for the All-Western Athletic Conference team. He was also named an All-America player twice.

During his four years at Arizona State, Haynes caught 17 passes from opposing teams (called interceptions). In 1974, his junior year, he led the nation with 11 interceptions. He also set a school record that year by returning 46 punts. In 1975, he scored two touchdowns from punt returns. Because of his great college career, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Professional Football Career

New England Patriots Years

The New England Patriots picked Mike Haynes in the first round of the 1976 NFL draft. He had an amazing first year as a rookie with the Patriots. He made eight interceptions and recovered three fumbles. He also led the AFC with 608 yards on 45 punt returns.

In 1976, Haynes scored the Patriots' first-ever touchdowns on punt returns. One was an 89-yard return, and another was 62 yards. He was invited to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, which was the first of nine Pro Bowl invitations in his career. He also won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The 1976 Patriots team had a great record of 11 wins and 3 losses. They made it to the playoffs for the first time in 13 years.

During his seven years with the Patriots, Haynes had 28 interceptions. He also gained 1,159 yards on 111 punt returns. He started his career with 58 games in a row as a starter.

In 1994, Mike Haynes was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. His jersey number, 40, was also retired by the team. He was named to the Patriots' All-1970s Team, the 35th Anniversary Team, and the 50th Anniversary Team.

Los Angeles Raiders Years

In 1982, Mike Haynes decided to leave the Patriots. In November 1983, he joined the Los Angeles Raiders. As part of the deal, the Patriots received high draft picks. After playing the last five regular season games, he started in the Raiders' Super Bowl XVIII victory. In that game, he had one interception, broke up two passes, and made one tackle.

Haynes teamed up with Lester Hayes in the Raiders' defense. They quickly became known as one of the best cornerback duos in NFL history. Their strong defense helped the Raiders win the Super Bowl.

In his seven seasons with the Raiders, Haynes added 18 more interceptions. This brought his career total to 46 interceptions. He returned these for 688 yards and two touchdowns. One of his most exciting plays was a 97-yard interception return against the Miami Dolphins in 1984. That year, he led the league in interception return yards. He also recovered 12 fumbles in his career.

Haynes was chosen as an All-Pro player in 1977, 1978, 1982, 1984, and 1985. He was also an All-AFC pick eight times. In 1997, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him number 93 on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. The NFL Network also ranked him number 49 on their Top 100 Greatest Players list.

Personal Life

Mike Haynes's nephew is the basketball player Justin Bibbs.