Mike Haynes

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Haynes went to T.S. King Middle School, as stated by him in the 2012 recognition for his Hall of Fame (NFL) awards. Haynes played cornerback at John Marshall High School in Los Angeles. The team on which he played chose two all star players to represent Marshall, which would eventually lead to his further career. In addition to football, Haynes also participated in track and field and currently holds the long jump record at John Marshall. During his senior year in 1971, Haynes started both ways on offense (QB) and defense (cornerback). However, Marshall went 0–7–1 in the Northern League in 1971 and tied Belmont 20–20 in his final game. In a show of his athletic accomplishments, John Marshall High School named the school football stadium in his honor when he was inducted into the school football hall of fame in 1986. In his final regular season track meet, Haynes had to run the final leg of the mile relay, then rest before completing his final long jump effort. The opposing team (archrival Belmont), believing they had won the league championship, loaded their bus and went home. Haynes rested, then leaped 23'5", a school record that still stands, winning the event, the meet and the league championship with it. At Arizona State, Haynes was a three-time All-Western Athletic Conference selection, and a two-time All-America selection. In his four seasons, Haynes intercepted 17 passes, including a nation-leading 11 interceptions in his junior season of 1974. He also set a school record that same year by returning 46 punts, and scored two touchdowns on punt returns in 1975. In 2000, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled through Foxborough in December 1976 as Mike Haynes lined up for his first playoff run with the Patriots. It had been a historic rookie campaign: eight interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and two punt return touchdowns that gave New England its first-ever scores on special returns. The team had gone 11–3, ending a 13-year drought of missing the playoffs. Opposing teams learned quickly that throwing to Haynes' side was a gamble they rarely won. He didn't just cover receivers; he dismantled them with speed and hard hits. By late 1979, his streak of 58 consecutive starts came to an end due to a rib injury, a rare break in his iron-man run. Yet even with the injury, his legacy was secure. In 1978, he had returned an interception for a touchdown against the Baltimore Colts as the Patriots won their division again. Fans remembered not just the stats—28 interceptions and over 1,000 punt return yards—but the fear he instilled in opponents. When he was traded to the Raiders in a settlement that gave New England future draft picks, it felt like losing a piece of the franchise's soul. Years later, his number 40 would hang in the rafters, and the stadium at John Marshall High School would be named in his honor, cementing his place as a legend who defined an era for New England.

Reader's Guide

Haynes was selected fifth overall in the first round in the 1976 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. He enjoyed a sensational rookie year with the Patriots with eight interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and an AFC-leading 608 yards on 45 punt returns. That year, Haynes gave the Patriots their first-ever touchdowns on punt returns with 89-yard and 62-yard returns. He earned a Pro Bowl invitation as a rookie, the first of nine Pro Bowl bids. He also won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The 1976 Patriots had an 11–3 record and clinched a playoff berth for the first time in 13 years, losing to Oakland in the first round. In 1978, Haynes recorded 6 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown against the Baltimore Colts. The Patriots won their division but lost to Houston in the playoffs. Haynes recorded 28 interceptions and 1,159 yards on 111 returns, a 10.4-yard average during his seven years with the Patriots. He started his career with 58 consecutive starts before being sidelined with a rib injury late in 1979. Haynes was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 1994, and his number 40 was retired as well. He was named to the Patriots' All-1970s Team, the 35th Anniversary Team named in 1994, as well as the 50th Anniversary Team named in 2009. He makes sporadic appearances involving the team to this day. Haynes played out his option with the Patriots in 1982, and in November 1983, his contract was awarded to the Los Angeles Raiders in a settlement that gave the Patriots a No. 1 draft choice in 1984 and a No. 2 pick in 1985. After playing the last five regular season games, he started in the Raiders' Super Bowl XVIII victory, notching one interception, two pass breakups and one tackle. His partner in the Raiders' secondary was Lester Hayes, and the tandem was quickly recognized as one of the best cornerback duos in league history. Washington Redskins general manager Bobby Beathard later said that Haynes tipped the balance heavily in the Raiders' favor. The Raiders and Redskins had played in the regular season when Haynes was still a Patriot, and his addition gave the Raiders the luxury of having two shutdown corners. In seven seasons with the Raiders, Haynes returned only one punt but he added 18 interceptions to give him a career total of 46 which were returned for 688 yards and two touchdowns, including a team-record 97-yard retur

Did You Know?

• Haynes was a two-time first-team All-Pro, but the source does not specify the exact years for those selections.
• Haynes was an All-Pro choice in 1977, 1978, 1982, 1984 and 1985, though the source does not clarify which of those were first-team or second-team.
• Haynes's nephew is basketball player Justin Bibbs.