Haynes at a press conference prior to Super Bowl XLII.

Players Spotlight:
Hall Of Famer
Michael Haynes

By Steve Heath, Special to USA Football

During his college days at Arizona State University, future college and pro football Hall of Famer Michael Haynes was given the nickname, "Luxury" by then-head coach Frank Kush.

Kush said Haynes' ability to play one-on-one with the opponent's best receiver was a luxury for the rest of the team to go about their business.

The luxury Haynes didn't have is the one he recommends for youth football players. He didn't begin playing organized football until his sophomore year at John Marshall High School in Los Angeles.

In fact, Haynes said, "I didn't learn how to tackle until I was in college."

He doesn't recommend that route to youngsters today. He has an eight-year old son just beginning to play the game. He helped coach the team last fall.

"It's such a great experience," he said. "I'm really proud of the work that is going into building youth programs. We know how important it is for the future of football. More importantly, it just provides a great opportunity to develop young men."

Haynes is a big believer that a lot can be learned from playing on a football team, much more than running pass routes and tackling opposing ball carriers.

"You learn about teamwork, being on time, being responsible for each other, how to celebrate with each other and how to pick each other up when you're down," he said.

It's picking up someone who's down that Haynes believes is a sports team quality that shouldn't be overlooked.

"You don't see that in kids. In a sport event, that happens. You need that guy on your team, he just dropped a pass or fumbled the ball and he's feeling terrible. You don't see it very much in life - if a guy doesn't do well on a test and all of his buddies tell him 'It's all right. It's OK.' In sports you see it. I think kids are learning important life skills in football."

A self-proclaimed late bloomer, Haynes went from ASU to NFL greatness. After a college career that saw him lead the nation in interceptions (11) in 1974, he was a first-round pick, and fifth overall selection, of the New England Patriots. He had eight interceptions in his rookie season and was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year.

He went to nine Pro Bowls and was a four-time All-Pro selection. He was named to the NFL's 1980s All-Decade team and its 75th Anniversary All-Time team.

He played 14 seasons in the league, including time with the Los Angeles Raiders when they won Super Bowl XVIII.

Now the NFL's Vice President of Player and Employee Development, Haynes said he has taken lessons he learned as a football player into his every day life. The time he spent on the football field was more than just beneficial to his trophy case.

"There are so many things (I've taken from the game of football)," he said, "from being in shape, being ready for your performance, recognizing that anything that can happen and how are you going to respond to those things is what really matters, having a game plan ... there are so many things.

"I could go on and on, literally, I could. It's just like it takes a community to raise a child, they say, a team is the same kind of thing. To have a great team, everybody has to be willing to share, share their information and pick each other up when things aren't going great."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.