Since Mike Haynes left ASU, he’s been inducted into a number of halls of fame, including the Sun Devil Hall of Fame as part of the class of 1979. But on Friday, he was in attendance for the 2014 Sun Devil Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Haynes was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1999 and is known as one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play in the league; however, Haynes still feels the need to say connected with his school.
“For me it’s important to be here because I want to try and reconnect with my school and I want to stay connected,” Haynes said. “I want to know about all of the great athletes that have come out of here and figure out what they’re doing.”
Haynes had as much success during his NFL career with the Patriots (who inducted him in their hall of fame in 1994) and the Oakland Raiders as he could have possibly asked for. But he still looks back and regrets not fully appreciating his time at ASU.
“For my life now, I’m 61 now and getting older, and looking back now sometimes I really feel like I didn’t smell the roses along the way,” Haynes said.
For Haynes, coming back to the school and hearing about the accomplishments of other former Sun Devil athletes helps to “build a story” in his head that he can share with others.
“Some of the stories I heard here today, overcoming adversity like setting a world record and not making the Olympic team, that’s a story that kids need to hear,” Haynes said. “Those are the kinds of stories I get to tell more than other people.”
The story that Haynes was referring to was that of new Hall of Fame inductee Lisa Aguilera, who set the world record in the 3000-meter steeplechase during her career at ASU, but failed to make the U.S. Olympic team twice afterward.
Haynes also reached out to another member of the class of 20134, Grey Ruegamer. He said the two discussed what they've done since retiring from football.
“Everyone knows you can’t be a great athlete forever and you often times wonder what you’re going to do next,” Haynes said. “And I often wonder how they arrive at those decisions.”
Haynes stays connected with the university, particularly the football program, in other ways than attending hall of fame ceremonies. He’s worked with the football team on a couple of occasions and even texts with head coach Todd Graham.
“I don’t think I always knew the importance of getting involved, and as you get older you see how important it really is,” Haynes said. “If you want to have a great program for many, many years to come than you have to get involved.”
Some might think getting involved with the university you already graduated from is a waste of time, especially if said person has accomplished as much as Haynes has. But Haynes feels the opposite.
“I don’t think it’s work, it’s not even work. I’m enjoying it,” Haynes said. “I’m enjoying meeting the people that have made the decision to come here and enjoying getting to know after their careers as athletes.”
You can reach the reporter at wslane@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @bill_slane
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