The Kansas City Chiefs are in mourning this week after they announced that former running back and Chiefs Hall of Famer Abner Haynes tragically passed away.
The original Dallas Texan was with the Chiefs for their inaugural season 1960.
He was 86.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said in a statement, “My family and I are deeply saddened by the passing of Chiefs Hall of Famer Abner Haynes.”
Hunt talked about how Abner’s accomplishments and how he was the league’s first great players of the Dallas Texans and the American Football League.
“In the league’s first season in 1960, Abner earned Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors, and more importantly, he earned the respect and admiration of his teammates and fans alike. In addition to his on-the-field prowess, Abner was a man of courage and leadership from a very young age. He remained involved in the community well after his playing days were over, and his legacy extends far beyond the gridiron. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Guadalupe, and his entire family during this difficult time.”
Running back Abner Haynes may not be a name that the majority of younger fans know, but it should be known that he was a beast during his time.
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He was a pioneer for Black athletes in the league during the 1960s.
The fifth-round selection out of North Texas in the 1960 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers opted to take his talents to the AFL’s Dallas Texans after an incident where Bobby Layne and Buddy Parker had rubbed his father, who was a minister, the wrong way.
It did not take long for Abner Haynes to make his name in the league. During its inaugural season, he earned AFL Rookie of the Year and AFL Player of the Year honors. That year, he led the league with 156 attempts for 875 yards and nine touchdowns, per Wikipedia.
He was a pivotal part of the Texans as well as the Chiefs’ franchise in the early years.
Hall of Famer Abner Haynes Left Behind A Long Lasting Legacy And A Ton of Yards
The Chiefs announced that former Dallas Texans and Kansas City Chiefs running back Abner Haynes has died.
Haynes was an original Dallas Texan and spent five seasons with the organization.
Across 70 regular season games from 1960 to 1964, Haynes would go on to lead the club in rushing in four of his five seasons with the team.
He put up so many yads that he currently ranks sixth in team history with 8,473 career combined net yards.
He still has the distinction as the franchise’s first 1,000-yard rusher, which came in 1962.
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