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First Trini to be Drafted to NLF |
August 2002: Trailing 24-20 with five seconds remaining. More than 100,000 fans and a national television audience looking on. A play that hasn't been used all season. A game that can set the tone for the rest of the year.
Pressure? Sure. But it doesn't even come close to the tense moments Georgia fullback Verron Haynes endured on September 11.
Haynes, the hero of the Bulldogs' victory over Tennessee, found himself glued to the television on that fateful day like all Americans. But unlike many of us, Haynes, a native of The Bronx, had a connection to the attacks in New York - two aunts who worked in the World Trade Centre and several other relatives living and working in the area.
That evening, Haynes got the news he had prayed for. One aunt, Donna Williams, was at work on the 41st floor of the first tower that was struck by a plane but she got out safely. The other aunt, Audrey Williams, had called in sick that morning and had not gone to her job in the second tower that was hit. Every other family member and friend in the area was accounted for and was safe.
"I was just so thankful that everybody was ok," Haynes said.
"What happened was such a tragedy. It was so devastating."
That's why Haynes was so happy to be on the receiving end of the quarterback David Greene's game-winning touchdown pass against the Volunteers. Not only did Haynes' touchdown energise Georgia and its fans, but it also gave a boost to his family and friends in New York at a time when they needed it most. On the Sunday following the game, a photo of Hay
nes'
reception appeared on the front page of the New York Times."I'm happy to know that there are some Bulldog fans up there now," Haynes said, flashing his trademark smile.
Even though Haynes hasn't touched the ball that much during his Georgia career, he entered this season as one of the Bulldogs' key offensive players. Haynes can line up at either fullback or tailback and is one of Georgia's most aggressive blockers and runners near the goal line.
Haynes is something of an over-night sensation, which makes his story all the more powerful.
Growing up, Haynes was more interested in basketball. When his family relocated to Atlanta, the stocky junior was approached by a North Springs High School assistant coach about playing football. Haynes had never played organised football and he showed up for his first practice with his knee pads on his hips and his hip pads on his knees.
Haynes was a quick study, however, and became one of his team's standouts. He rushed for more than 600 yards and four touchdowns, including a 60-yarder in his first game, and recorded 133 tackles for linebacker position. He nearly doubled his rushing output to 1,142 yards and 11 touchdowns during his senior season.
Haynes signed with Western Kentucky because he wanted to play the right way. As a freshman, he rushed for 305 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Hilltoppers to a 10-2 record. However, Haynes felt he needed to make a change and gave up his scholarship to walk on at Georgia. Despite the long odds faced by a walk on, Haynes felt he had something to offer to the Bulldogs.
After sitting out in 1998 as a transfer, he saw action in every game in 1999 on special terms. By the 2000 season, Haynes had worked his way into the mix on offense as an aggressive blocker and a hard-running ballcarrier - and he had earned a scholarship.
Fans will remember Haynes for his touchdown reception against Tennessee - one that already has been mentioned in the same breath as Lindsay Scott's catch against Florida in 1980 - but he would be content to being remembered as a hard worker.
"What happened in New York was such a tragic thing, but I know that God is in the midst of everything and He's working in my life. I know He has a plan for me."
That plan includes football, though scoring touchdowns and hearing cheers is not what drives him. As a football player, Haynes knows he is in the public eye and he utilises that opportunity to share his positive outlook and his work ethic.
Off the field, his activities include organising a group of players who visit children in an Athens hospital weekly.
Haynes says he is simply happy to be a part of such a close-knit squad.
Verron Haynes, son of former national and Malvern football captain Ulric "Buggy" Haynes, made history on April 21, when he became the first Trinidadian to be drafted to the top NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 23-year-old migrated to the US when he was six years old and spent his early life in New York before relocating to Atlanta, Georgia. Haynes graduated from the University of Georgia with a BS degree in finance and works with Morgan Stanley, a major investment corporation in the US.
The above article is reproduced from the Georgia Bulldog and describes the rise of the young Trinidadian who becomes the first Trinidadian to be drafted to the NFL.