Michael Haynes was a force to be reckoned with in college, though he didn’t truly break out until the 2002 season.
And oh what a season it was.
Heading into the season, he was named to the Ted Hendricks Award watchlist, ultimately becoming a finalist.
He set (at the time) the Penn State season record for sacks, with 15. That record would stand until Carl Nassib set it at 15.5.
He was a terror on the field, and earned numerous accolades off of it:
- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
- First-team All-Big Ten
- Second-team AP All-American
His successes ultimately led him to be selected with the 14th overall pick in the NFL Draft, along with three other Penn Staters: DT Jimmy Kennedy, WR Bryant Johnson, and RB Larry Johnson.