Former Chiefs RB Abner Haynes Dies at 86; 3-Time Pro Bowler, AFL Champion

Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame running back Abner Haynes has died, the team announced Thursday. He was 86 years old.

Haynes began his football career at North Texas, where he joined Leon King as the first African American students to play college football in the state. He played as the school's starting running back in 1958 and 1959.

After setting a North Texas record that still stands today of 28.6 yards per punt return, Haynes was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1960 NFL draft.

He instead chose to play with the AFL's Dallas Texans, where he helped promote the young league by becoming one of its first stars.

He was named the league's Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in 1960 and then two years later became the first rusher in franchise history to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards as he helped lead the Texans to an AFL title.

Haynes stayed with the franchise for two more seasons after the team became the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963.

He later played for the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, retiring after the 1967 season with 4,630 career rushing yards for 39 touchdowns, as well as 3,535 receiving yards for 20 touchdowns.

Following his career, Haynes represented more than 90 NFL players as one of the first Black sports agents licensed in Texas. He later established the Abner Haynes Heroes of Football Foundation to help former professionals who were injured during their playing careers.

Haynes joined the North Texas Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986 and then was named to the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1991. Both teams retired his No. 28, and he and King were honored with a plaza erected in their name outside the North Texas stadium in 2022.