Top 100 NFL Running Backs - #50: Abner Haynes

Abner Haynes

Teams

Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs (1960-1964)

Denver Broncos (1965-1966)

Miami Dolphins (1967)

New York Jets (1967)

Playoffs

Appearances - 1 (1962)

Conf Champ Games - 1 (1962)

Champ Games - 1 (1962)

Championships - 1 (1962)

Awards and Honors

Player of the Year - 1 (1960)

Rookie of the Year - 1960

All-Pro First Team - 2 (1960,1962)

All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1964)

Pro Bowl - 3 (1961,1962,1964)

All-Time Ranks

Yards per Rush - #49

Yards per Touch - #70

League Leads

Rushing Yards (#1-1960, #2-1962, #3-1961, #5-1964)

Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1960,1961,1962, #7-1963,1964)

Yards per Rush (#1-1961, #2-1960, #3-1964, #7-1962, #10-1963)

Rushing Yards per Game (#1-1960, #2-1962, #3-1961, #5-1964)

Receptions (#5-1960)

Receiving Touchdowns (#7-1962)

Total Touchdowns (#1-1962, #2-1960, #3-1961, #7-1964)

Scrimmage Yards (#1-1962, #2-1960, #3-1961, #7-1964)

Yards per Touch (#2-1964, #3-1961,1962, #4-1963, #5-1960)

After becoming one of the first players to integrate college football at the University of North Texas and gaining 1864 rushing yards over 3 seasons, Abner Haynes was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 5th round of the 1960 NFL Draft, and in the initial AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, which did not have rounds, just names drawn from a hat. After the Raiders declined to sign him, he signed with his local Dallas Texans of the AFL.

In the AFL's first season, Haynes led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns, finishing with 875 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also had 576 yards receiving, which gave him 1451 scrimmage yards, and he was named both Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in the AFL.

In his second season, he led the league in touchdowns again, and this time also led the league with 4.7 yards per carry. He topped both of those seasons in 1962, when he reached 1049 rushing yards, led the league with 13 touchdowns, his third straight season with the most in the league. He also led the league with 1622 scrimmage yards and 19 total touchdowns, making the All-Pro First Team for the second time.

Dallas reached the AFL title game that season, where they faced the Houston Oilers, winning 20-17 in double overtime, with Haynes scoring both of the Texans' touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. He gained 71 yards in the game and went home a champion in the only playoff appearance of his career.

The Dallas Texans moved after that season, relocating to Kansas City and renaming themselves the Chiefs, and he remained with the team for 2 more seasons. His first season as a Chief was a bit disappointing, but he bounced back in 1964, gaining 1259 scrimmage yards and being named to the AFL All-Star Game. 

Because he participated in a boycott of that season's All-Star Game in New Orleans due to mistreatment of black players in the city, the Chiefs traded him to the Denver Broncos after the season. He played two seasons with the Broncos, only gaining 470 rushing yards during that time, then moved on to play partial seasons with the Dolphins and Jets before retiring after his 8th season.

Haynes' career fell off kind of quickly after a hot start, but he was definitely one of the top rushers in the game in each of his first 3 seasons, and was a big reason for his team's championship in 1962. He was nearly always among the league leaders in yards per carry, and still ranks among the top 50 of all time in that category, and his play in those early days of the AFL made him one of the greatest of all time.