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5. Mike Haynes

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5. Mike Haynes

Mike Haynes played the first seven of his fourteen-year career with the New England Patriots, and he was a Pro Bowl Selection in six of them.

Drafted fifth overall in 1976 from Arizona State, Haynes shot out like a cannon winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year and securing that first Pro Bowl.  Also used as Punt Returner in his first two years, Haynes developed into a bona fide ballhawk on the pro level, securing 28 of his career 46 Interceptions as a Patriot. 

Haynes, who was set to become a Free Agent, held out.  This action forced the Patriots to trade him to the Los Angeles Raiders in October of 1983, but the trade was voided by the league, who cited that it needed to occur before the October 11 trade deadline. All of this resulted in a lawsuit, and a month later, the Defensive Back was L.A. bound, and he helped them win a Super Bowl that year.

Haynes was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. He was also a member of the 1980s All-Decade Team, the 75thAnniversary Team, and the 100thAnniversary Team.  The Patriots also retired his number 40 and was elected into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 1994. 

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Cornerback, Punt Returner
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 5th Overall in the NFL Draft 4/8/76.
  • Departed: Awarded to the Los Angeles Raiders.  As compensation, the Patriots received Los Angeles’ 1984 1stRound and 1985 2ndRound Pick 11/15/83.
  • Games Played: 90
  • Notable Statistics:

    86 Games Started
    28 Interceptions
    393 Interception Return Yards
    1 Interception Return Touchdown
    11 Fumble Recoveries
    6 Fumble Recovery Yards
    1.0 Quarterback Sack*
    111 Punt Returns
    1,159 Punt Return Yards
    2 Punt Return Touchdowns
    87 Approximate Value

    3 Playoff Games
    1 Fumble Recovery
    0 Fumble Recovery Yards
    2 Punt Returns
    13 Punt Return Yards

    *Sacks were unofficially calculated by Pro Football Reference from 1960 to 1981.

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Second Team All-Pro (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 & 1982)
    Pro Bowl (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 & 1982)
    AP Defensive Rookie of the Year (1976)
    UPI Defensive Rookie of the Year (1976)
    The Sporting News Rookie of the Year (1976)
    All-Rookie (1976)

Last modified on Saturday, 17 September 2022 01:04

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