Steelers’ Haynes back in the mix

By Darrell Laurant  |   Wednesday, June 06, 2007  |  Comments( 2 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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When you hear so much about what a cold business the National Football League has become, the recent news that running back Verron Haynes had re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers had a nice ring to it.

Yes, the Steelers had released Haynes on March 1, some four months after a ghastly knee injury (three different ligaments torn) suffered against Oakland last Oct. 29. But they continued to let him work out at their training facility (a sharp contrast to the Tennessee/Steve McNair debacle over a year ago) and then re-signed him when the knee came around.

"Mr. Rooney, Kevin (Colbert) and Mike Tomlin told me all along, don't worry about it, we have you, you'll work out here and we'll bring you back," Haynes told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "And true to their word, they did."

For his part, the former University of Georgia star had showed his own loyalty by re-signing with Pittsburgh as a free agent in 2006.

"My whole thing was to stay in Pittsburgh," he said at the time. "I like the system I play in and I know what to do. I had a few other teams who were interested but my intent was to stay here."

Haynes said he felt "revived" when he reported for the final week of spring practice for the Steelers last week, and he insisted that tests on a Cybex machine had told him his left knee was stronger than it had ever been.

If true, this would be good news for the Steelers, because Haynes fills a niche. Willie Parker will remain the team's featured back, with Najeh Davenport as the top reserve and Kevan Barlow perhaps the most logical choice for goal-line duties. Where Haynes excels is on third down, because of his skill in catching passes out of the backfield.

Haynes has snagged 57 passes for 417 yards as a Steeler and rushed for 738 (a 4.2-yard average, 5.2 last year). He has a history of making the most of each carry -- at Georgia, Haynes finished with a career rushing average of 5.15, second all-time only to Herschel Walker.

And this is a guy accustomed to overcoming long odds. A former walk-on at Western Kentucky, he transferred to Georgia and beat out several more highly recruited Bulldogs for the tailback spot. Now, he hopes to do the same thing again.

Even if only on third downs.

Weekly Pittsburgh Steelers insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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