Full recognition has finally come for Charles Haley, at the sixth time of asking.
One of the most dominant defensive players of the last thirty years, Haley reached the finals of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process no less than five times, only to be turned away at the eleventh hour. On Saturday he received the call that had eluded him for so long: He would be entering the hallowed halls of Canton, Ohio in 2015.
(Pixgood)
The resume of Charles Haley is exceedingly impressive.
After being part of the most impressive draft class of all time for the San Francisco 49ers in 1986, Haley gained twelve sacks in his first professional season. During the championship seasons of 1988 and 1989, Haley would accumulate twenty-three sacks and play a hugely influential role in enabling the 49ers to win the Super Bowl in both years. These statistics would be topped during the 1990 season, when Haley was chosen as the NFC Defensive Player of the year, as well as becoming an All-Pro, in no small part to the sixteen sacks that he tallied during the season.
(Ninersnation)
Charles would spend the first six years of his career with San Francisco, winning two Super Bowl rings and smashing a whole host of records. During 1992 he was traded to the rival Dallas Cowboys, whereby he won a further three Super Bowls whilst continuing to put up impressive pass-rushing statistics.
This is even more impressive when considereing that Haley had to transition from a 3-4 outside linebacker in San Francisco, to a 4-3 defensive end in Dallas.
After a five-year stint with the Cowboys, he returned to San Francisco where he played for two more seasons and finally retired after the 1999 season.
In his career, Charles Haley amassed 100.5 sacks, with 66.5 of them being in the red and gold uniform of the 49ers. He was the premier pass-rush specialist throughout the 80s and 90s, wreaking havoc on quarterbacks throughout the league during his career.
Haley also holds the record for the highest number of sacks in the Super Bowl, with 4.5 sacks split across his 5 Super Bowl wins. He is also fifth on the all-time list of sacks in the postseason with 11.
So, with such a presdigious career, why has it taken so long for Haley to get the call from the Hall? Also, why did San Francisco trade him to the Dallas Cowboys when in the prime of his career?
Both can be answered with the same phrase: Character issues.
Or rather, a challenging personality that was a result of a medical condition that was not diagnosed until after Charles had retired from the NFL.
Throughout his career, Haley was tormented by his own antagonistic behaviour that caused strife between himself and his peers and coaches.
During his time with the 49ers, Haley was responsible for getting into fights with teammates including Jim Burt and even Steve Young, but his biggest mistake was when he threw a punch at his head coach, George Seifert. This was the final straw for San Francisco after it had patiently tried to handle Haley for several years. The swing at Seifert led directly to the trade with Dallas, who were the only team willing to take a risk on the player who had gained such a bd reputation throughout the league.
Even with the Cowboys, Haley continued his disruptive behavuiour. But Jerry Jones was more willing to turn a blind eye to the off-field problems, as long as Haley continued his on-field dominance.
It was not until 1999 that Charles Haley was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental illness that was at the root of his erratic behaviour throughout his career. By this time though, the years of infamy were entrenched in the public psyche: The damage was done.
Fast forward a decade and you could still see the damaging effects of Haleys antics, when it came around to consider him for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Although nobody on the voting panel would publically admit it, the reason for Charles Haley being omitted from the halls of Canton for so long, is generally accepted to be because of his caustic temperment whilst still playing the game of football.
It is a pity that this far into the 21st century, the stimga of mental health problems is still so rife in the western world and this is as true for the world of professional sports as it is in any walk of life.
Finally however, on the 31st of January 2015 Charles Haley, the quarterback assassin, received enough votes to rightly take his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Congratulations Charles Haley, you've earned it.
Photography references
Pixgood, 'Charles Haley has firve Super Bowl rings', viewed 1st February 2015, <http://djphillipfromgalt.hot1035radio.com/images/2014/01/charles-haley-five-super-bowls.jpg >
Ninersnation, '3 point stance', viewed 1st February 2015, <https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7ly5DfW8v8uRhE5gslit_L__0Xk=/0x437:2048x1589/1600x900/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45595058/359271.0.jpg >
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