Gold Jacket Spotlight: Charles Haley’s influence as NFL’s ‘first to five’
Gold Jacket Spotlight
Published on : 11/13/2023
Many are aware of CHARLES HALEY'S status as the first NFL player on five Super Bowl-winning teams. Most are less aware of his influence on each of those championship organizations.
When the five titles are discussed in the NFL documentary, “A Football Life,” the proclamation, “… and not one of them was he just ‘on the team.’ He had an impact on every team that won the Super Bowl,” is made.
Charles’ impact on two dynastic franchises is the focus of this week’s Gold Jacket Spotlight.
Following a dominating collegiate career at James Madison University, Charles was selected in the fourth round (96th overall) in the 1986 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He made an early impression on the head coach who made the selection decision.
In that same documentary, future Hall of Fame coach BILL WALSH observed Charles as, “… one of the young and talented players who have brought a new feeling of enthusiasm to the 49ers for 1986.”
To date, only Charles has become a Hall of Famer from the selections in that draft.
Charles shared that Walsh taught him to accept and understand coaches’ criticism, telling the defensive stalwart, “Criticism is just like beef jerky. It’s tough, it’s hard to chew, but it has everything in it that you need. From that day on, I became a student of the game.”
“Right away,” then-49ers assistant coach Mike Holmgren, confirmed, “it was easy to see remarkable football ability.”
Beyond physical ability, Charles’ passion for the game and knowledge of the game were characteristics team owners, coaches and teammates admired.
“I think the most important thing is that you could see that he cared,” 49ers teammate and Class of 2000 Hall of Famer RONNIE LOTT said. “He knows what’s going on all over the field, and he knows what kind of situations teams are trying to put him in. That’s half of being a great player, not just playing in games, but thinking in games.”
Matt Millen, a former teammate and later a general manager in Detroit, said, “People don’t know how smart that guy is. Most guys who are ultra-talented can’t tell you why they do it. Charles was smart enough to be able to explain it.”
Charles earned double-digits sack totals during the 1988 and 1989 regular seasons, and, by no coincidence, San Francisco earned back-to-back Super Bowl titles those years.
During the 1990 season, Charles again would achieve double-digit sacks with a career-high 16.
Following the 1991 season, however, the 49ers traded Charles to the Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco head coach George Seifert later would call it “a good move on their part and a bad move on my part.”
Realizing Charles could be an impactful and emotional player, Cowboys owner JERRY JONES (Hall of Fame Class 2017) met his newest player at the airport. Commenting on the significance of that first meeting, Charles remarked, “The moment he did that, new life came to me.”
“Charles is complicated,” Jones told NFL Films. “There’s no question he was one of the most unique football players that ever played in the NFL.”
Future Hall of Famer quarterback TROY AIKMAN said Charles gave the Cowboys “instant credibility defensively.”
That “new life” Charles experienced included the Cowboys winning three Vince Lombardi trophies in a span of four seasons, prompting Jones to quip, “With all the great stars we had, we couldn’t spell Super Bowl — until Charles Haley came with the Cowboys.”
“Without question,” Dallas coach and Hall of Famer JIMMY JOHNSON declared, “bringing Charles Haley in made us the best team in the league.”
Confirming Seifert’s trade assessment, Charles’ knowledge and emotions assisted the Cowboys in defeating the 49ers in two of three NFC Championship Games.
Impact and passion made Charles the “first to five.”
When the five titles are discussed in the NFL documentary, “A Football Life,” the proclamation, “… and not one of them was he just ‘on the team.’ He had an impact on every team that won the Super Bowl,” is made.
Charles’ impact on two dynastic franchises is the focus of this week’s Gold Jacket Spotlight.
Following a dominating collegiate career at James Madison University, Charles was selected in the fourth round (96th overall) in the 1986 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He made an early impression on the head coach who made the selection decision.
In that same documentary, future Hall of Fame coach BILL WALSH observed Charles as, “… one of the young and talented players who have brought a new feeling of enthusiasm to the 49ers for 1986.”
To date, only Charles has become a Hall of Famer from the selections in that draft.
Charles shared that Walsh taught him to accept and understand coaches’ criticism, telling the defensive stalwart, “Criticism is just like beef jerky. It’s tough, it’s hard to chew, but it has everything in it that you need. From that day on, I became a student of the game.”
“Right away,” then-49ers assistant coach Mike Holmgren, confirmed, “it was easy to see remarkable football ability.”
Beyond physical ability, Charles’ passion for the game and knowledge of the game were characteristics team owners, coaches and teammates admired.
“I think the most important thing is that you could see that he cared,” 49ers teammate and Class of 2000 Hall of Famer RONNIE LOTT said. “He knows what’s going on all over the field, and he knows what kind of situations teams are trying to put him in. That’s half of being a great player, not just playing in games, but thinking in games.”
Matt Millen, a former teammate and later a general manager in Detroit, said, “People don’t know how smart that guy is. Most guys who are ultra-talented can’t tell you why they do it. Charles was smart enough to be able to explain it.”
Charles earned double-digits sack totals during the 1988 and 1989 regular seasons, and, by no coincidence, San Francisco earned back-to-back Super Bowl titles those years.
During the 1990 season, Charles again would achieve double-digit sacks with a career-high 16.
Following the 1991 season, however, the 49ers traded Charles to the Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco head coach George Seifert later would call it “a good move on their part and a bad move on my part.”
Realizing Charles could be an impactful and emotional player, Cowboys owner JERRY JONES (Hall of Fame Class 2017) met his newest player at the airport. Commenting on the significance of that first meeting, Charles remarked, “The moment he did that, new life came to me.”
“Charles is complicated,” Jones told NFL Films. “There’s no question he was one of the most unique football players that ever played in the NFL.”
Future Hall of Famer quarterback TROY AIKMAN said Charles gave the Cowboys “instant credibility defensively.”
That “new life” Charles experienced included the Cowboys winning three Vince Lombardi trophies in a span of four seasons, prompting Jones to quip, “With all the great stars we had, we couldn’t spell Super Bowl — until Charles Haley came with the Cowboys.”
“Without question,” Dallas coach and Hall of Famer JIMMY JOHNSON declared, “bringing Charles Haley in made us the best team in the league.”
Confirming Seifert’s trade assessment, Charles’ knowledge and emotions assisted the Cowboys in defeating the 49ers in two of three NFC Championship Games.
Impact and passion made Charles the “first to five.”
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