Haley Charles - Fear no evil: tackling quarterbacks and demons on my way to the Hall of Fame

For my four children, Princess, Charles Jr., Brianna, and Madison, whom I love unconditionally and have seen me at my worst. They have been my inspiration to become a better man and father.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil

Psalm 23:4

Contents

Foreword by Ronnie Lott

It didnt take long for me to form my first impression of Charles Haley. Even when he was a rookie with the San Francisco 49ers in 1986, it was obvious that, while he didnt have all the understanding he would need to become a top-tier defensive end, he possessed the deepest desire to succeed. He was one of those rare teammates, one of those rare people you come across in this world, who was willing to work until he couldnt and was willing to maximize his body for the sole objective of winning.

Heres a kid from James Madison University, certainly not a big-time college football program, and hes supposed to replace one of the greatest defensive ends to ever play the game in Fred Dean. It didnt take long, though, to see that Charles would be able to fill those shoes. We were incredibly fortunate to replace one Pro Football Hall of Famer with another. That doesnt happen often.

A lot of guys come and go in the NFL and never grasp the opportunity. They are sitting around right now wondering why their career didnt go like they thought it would. Its because they werent committed like Charles was. Every day Charles showed up with the knowledge and understanding of what an honor and privilege it is to play football at that level. He invested himself fully. The man would run and run until he could run no more. The man would watch film until there was no film left. He respected what his name stood for.

Charles is always working someone. At this very moment, Charles is working an angle. Hes helping someone. Hes talking to some store owner about donating a bunch of bread to feed hungry children. Hes making calls to find extra computers for inner-city students. Hes constantly working the system to help others.

He is a lot smarter than anyone gives him credit for. Sure, as a football player, everyone understood his genius for the game, but Im talking about off the field. Hes James Bond. The man walks into a room and assesses everyone there within minutes. He knows whos scared, whos not, who leads, who needs help, who falters under pressure. He reads people better than anyone. Ive mentioned this to him, and he brushes it off, saying when you grow up in a family like his you have to read people.

I know players who played for Bill Walsh a lot longer than Charles, but he understood the coach after just a few days. Thats why they connected so perfectly. There were times when Charles knew some of our assistant coaches better than they knew themselves.

Charles had some issues with coacheswith authority in generalbut I guarantee you this: every single coach would say, Give me someone who plays as hard as Haley. Charles was that guy in the fourth quarter still running at first-quarter speed. That motor of his never stopped revving.

Heres what I will never, ever understand: the 49ers changed the weight of the entire league by trading Charles to the Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco would have won three more Super Bowls if it hadnt. Instead, they sent one of the games premier pass rushers to Dallas on a singular mission of revenge.

They didnt have any perspective. Its like a family member. Sometimes you dont understand why they do what they do, but you still love them. The 49ers didnt understand why winning and teammates mattered so much to Charles. They didnt understand his level of passion. They didnt understand what resides in a mans heart when his sole purpose is to be a champion, to strive each and every day to be the best for his teammates. They didnt understand Charles, so they sent him to Dallas, and he kicked their rear end for the next five years.

Yeah, he went psycho after a loss; he was that angry, he cared that deeply. That doesnt mean hes crazy and that the team cant exist and succeed because of him. But that became the story. Charles is crazy. Tell me this, how can Charles be crazy if he knew the assignments for every single one of his teammates on every single play? Charles was the smartest guy on the field.

Im not saying Charles was always easy in the locker room. He was cool with me because we were friends. He knew I looked out for him. But this one time, Charles had Jerry Rice in a headlock after practice and he wouldnt let go unless Rice said uncle. Youre talking about two of the all-time competitors. Rice obviously has no chance against Charles, but hes not giving in and he more or less passes out. Charles walks away, and were all thinking that this really awkward moment is over. Then less than a minute later, Jerry is chasing Charles around the locker room with a fire extinguisher. That was one of the funniest things Ive ever seen.

Charles couldnt be in a better place right now. Its tough not knowing where to go in life. From high school and college to then the NFL, football was his whole world. Theres a little time for family, but for 20 years or so, its football. Then what? You have to relearn how to live, how to exist and flourish in a new environment. I struggled with thisa lot of us doand Charles definitely did. Its just unfortunate that we have to live our lives out in public.

A lot of that adjustment is by experiment. Charles tried coaching for a few years and realized that wasnt his thingat least on a full-time basis. Instead, he decided he wanted to help people, and I couldnt be more proud of him. More than anyone, Charles understands his purpose in this world. Charles is always a phone call away. How can you not love that this tough-guy Hall of Famer who spends every day of his life now trying to help people? What an asset to society he is. Just like on the football field, Charles is giving the kind of effort that less than 1 percent of people give to any endeavor their entire lives.

Charles was a gift to the game of football. The kind of dedication and passion he brought, you just dont see that today. There was no greater honor during my career than calling Charles Haley a teammate. And it will be my honor every day for the remainder of our lives to call him my beloved friend.

Ronnie Lott

Foreword by Jerry Jones

When the Dallas Cowboys reported to training camp in 1992, we were on the cusp of greatness. Our offense was already loaded with big-time playmakers, dynamic leadership, and, of course, the TripletsTroy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin. Still, there was something missing. Someone, really, and that someone was Charles Haley.

Charles was the final piece of the puzzle. Those three championship Cowboys teams dont win the Super Bowl without Charles Haley. We werent complete until he arrived. We went from a pretty good football team to one of the greatest dynasties the game has ever witnessed, and really the only difference between the two was Charles.

The season before Charles arrived, we won 11 games and another in the playoffs, but we werent good enough to win it all for one simple reason: we didnt have a pass rush. Only two teams finished the 1991 season with fewer sacks. The next Super Bowl champion that doesnt have a formidable pass rush will be the first.

So when the San Francisco 49ers called about trading a couple of draft picks for one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL, we were definitely suspicious. Both of us felt like we would be competing for conference supremacy over the next three or four years, and yet they wanted to send us one of their best players. This just doesnt happen. This is like a fellow oilman calling me back in the day and saying, Jerry, I have this well that just keeps gushing oil, but I dont want it any longer. You interested?