Charles Haley: JMU Standout to NFL Hall of Famer - Part 3

JMUSports.com this week has devoted a series of articles to former JMU football standout Charles Haley (1982-85), who on Saturday will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The first installment introduced Haley and reviewed his high school career, recruitment to JMU and first JMU season (1982). A second installment reviewed his second and third JMU seasons and today's third installment reviews his fourth JMU season and professional career. The complete enshrinement ceremony will air live at 7 p.m. on the NFL Network. More information is available at JMUSports.com.

The 1985 season was one of change in the James Madison University football program. There was a new coaching staff with Joe Purzycki replacing Challace McMillin as head coach, a newly installed Omni-Turf playing field and an enhanced strength training room among a number of facility upgrades, and a change in game uniforms.

Charles Haley Basics

Hometown: Gladys, Va.
High School: William Campbell (Class of 1982)
JMU Seasons: 1982-85
Playing Positions: Defensive End/Linebacker
NFL Draft: San Francisco, 1986, Fourth Round
NFL Career: San Francisco 1986-91, 1998-99; Dallas 1992-96

Remaining constant, however, was Charles Haley's presence and effect on the JMU team and its opponents. Haley had led JMU in tackles during each of the previous two seasons and had been an Associated Press honorable mention All-America honoree and all-state choice in 1984. Another standout season was expected, and the senior linebacker improved upon his already impressive credentials, leading a defense that ranked 10th nationally among Division I-AA programs.

Haley then was selected during the fourth round of the NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers and went on to receive all-rookie and all-pro recognition and to play on five Super Bowl championship teams during a career that culminated in his hall of fame election.

"As a player, it's hard to describe him," said Purzycki, who coached against Haley for two seasons at Delaware State and coached him as a JMU senior. "I never had anyone with the feel for the game that Charles had; his insight was uncanny.

"When we first got to JMU, (men's basketball coach) Lou Campanelli told me he had Charles scrimmage with the basketball team; he was good enough to have made the basketball team," Purzycki added. "He wasn't just a big football player; he had some amazing skills. He was a big guy who was a great athlete and that allowed him to run down quarterbacks."

And his personality and physical abilities made him a natural center of attention in the JMU program.

"Charles had an overpowering persona; he took over the locker room," Purzycki said. "At times he could be quiet and solemn and at other times he was the court jester. He controlled the locker room; he was one of the funniest guys around. He owned the locker room as a senior; it was very much his team. Everyone listened to Charles. He had a one-of-a-kind personality."

All-America Season

Haley was voted the Dukes' 1985 single team captain and rarely was challenged for the title of most dominant player on the field during JMU games. He took part in 131 tackles, including five quarterback sacks, blocked three kicks and intercepted a pass.

His tackles total was down from previous seasons, in part because of a move from inside linebacker to outside linebacker for the season's final four games. However, it was the position change that allowed him to exhibit the talents that he showcased at the professional level. And the Dukes won three of the four games with him on the outside to finish with a 5-6 record for the year after a five-game losing streak had dropped the team to 2-5.

"Jim Pletcher (defensive coordinator) and Hank Hughes (linebackers coach) wanted him inside and Charles wanted to play inside," Purzycki said. "But in college, with the hash mark where they are, you put him on the wide side and teams can't run there. And then you try to throw and you've got this great pass rusher coming at you. As soon as we put him outside, he was a force. The thinking was he could take away one side of the field. When he was inside, we didn't really see the skills he had."

JMU's defense allowed only two touchdowns during the Dukes' final four 1985 games (28-0 win over Davidson, 21-6 win over eventual national champion Georgia Southern, 14-7 loss at Virginia Military, 13-0 win over Towson), and Haley was its only senior starter at season's end.

"Haley is without qualification the finest defensive player ever at JMU," Purzycki said in an All-America promotional flyer late during the 1985 season. "When one player can get the full attention of an offense's game plan, that's the highest compliment you can pay to a player. We've had to actually disguise our defenses and hide Charles in an effort to prevent people from running or throwing away from him. He's been the most-dominant defensive player I've ever had."

Leading Effort vs. National Champs

Haley may never have been better as a Duke than during a rainy Nov. 2, 1985 afternoon in JMU's 21-6 homecoming win over Georgia Southern. The visiting Eagles rebounded from the loss to win that season's and the 1986 Division I-AA championships but were no match for Haley. He was credited officially with taking part in only six tackles; but his presence made Georgia Southern reluctant to run its potent option offense to his side, and his speed made him a disruptive force when standout quarterback Tracy Ham and a replacement signal caller went the other way.

"Georgia Southern decided to run the option away from him and Tracy Ham goes down the line, but Charles took the quarterback on the from the backside," Purzycki said. "I don't know how many times he hit Ham that day.

"Erk Russell (Georgia Southern's head coach and the long-time defensive coordinator at Georgia) came over to me after the game and said 'Who is that kid? I've never seen anybody do that – hurt our option from the backside.'"

Haley also blocked a Georgia Southern punt out of bounds at the Eagles' seven-yard line to set up a touchdown that gave JMU a 7-0 first-quarter lead. Ham left with an injury later during the first half as JMU built a 21-3 lead, and Haley had a 17-yard second-half quarterback sack to stop one Georgia Southern drive and a fourth-down pass deflection to end another. He broke up three passes overall during the game.

Consistent Production

Haley reached double figures in tackles during each of JMU's first seven games as an inside linebacker, averaging 13 stops per game during that period. Included were an 18-tackle effort in a 38-15 loss to top-ranked Richmond in Norfolk's Oyster Bowl and a 15-stop outing in a 35-14 win over Morehead State in the Dukes' home-opener. He returned a fumble 31 yards for a touchdown and intercepted a pass against Morehead State.

Professional Success

Haley's success at the college level translated almost immediately to the professional game. In 1986, he led NFL rookies with 12 quarterback sacks and was an all-rookie honoree by Pro Football Weekly and United Press International. He was a San Francisco starter by 1988, played on two winning Super Bowl teams (XXIII & XXIV) and was the 1990 National Football Conference defensive player of the year and an All-Pro selection before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys after the 1991 campaign.

Haley was a member of three Super Bowl champions while playing for Dallas (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX), won his second NFC defensive player of the year award and received All-Pro accolades for the second time.

Haley returned to the 49ers briefly late during his career and retired having taken part in 100.5 quarterback sacks during 12 professional seasons. He led San Francisco in sacks during each of his first six professional seasons, reached double figures for season sacks six times, was named to five Pro Bowls and was a member of 10 divisional championship teams.

His Pro Football Hall of Fame induction follows enshrinement in JMU's Sports Hall of Fame, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Black Sports Hall of Fame and the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.

Continuing Loyalty

A common theme early during Haley's college career was his loyalty to his commitment to JMU even after more-established programs began recruiting him, and he has remained loyal to those closest to him from his collegiate days.

"He has stayed in touch and continued our relationship," McMillin said. "He reached out to me at the beginning of the last pro season and flew my wife and me to Dallas for the Cowboy-San Francisco game."

Haley took care of expenses for McMillin and his wife during the Dallas trip and will be doing the same thing for the two when they attend this weekend's hall of fame festivities.

Purzycki tells a story of being on the sidelines as a sponsor representative for a Cowboys' game in Charlotte. Non-team personnel were to leave the sideline at game time, but Haley, who was injured and not playing, handed Purzycki a sideline pass and told him to stay. Purzycki said he received numerous strange looks, including from Dallas coach Barry Switzer, but that Haley let it be known to anyone with questions "He's with me."

Danny Wilmer, who made JMU's first recruiting contact with Haley, remembers how gracious Haley was whenever the two met during his playing career and of Haley showing him around the 49ers' practice and training complex.

"When he was in the NFL, I'd run into him during conventions or recruiting, and he always was accommodating. He'd go out of his way to help you and was as kind as he could be," Wilmer said

Jimmy Prince, who worked with Haley as an assistant coach under both McMillin and Purzycki, remembers the call he received when Haley had been informed of his hall of fame selection. "We made it!" Prince recalls being his former student's first words. Not I but we. "It's been 30 years and we stay in touch – at least once each month – and talk," Prince said.