Abner Haynes, Chiefs Hall of Fame running back and former AFL MVP, dies at age 86

Abner Haynes, a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, has died at age 86. Haynes, who was a running back who helped popularizes the American Football League, passed away Thursday in Dallas.

In a statement, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt wrote that Haynes was still an active member of the Kansas City community, saying that he and his family were deeply saddened by the late running back’s death.

“Abner was one of the first great stars of the Dallas Texans and the American Football League. In the league’s first season in 1960, Abner earned Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors, and more importantly, he earned the respect and admiration of his teammates and fans alike. In addition to his on-the-field prowess, Abner was a man of courage and leadership from a very young age,” Hunt wrote.

Haynes was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1960, but chose to go to the Dallas Texans in the AFL’s first season instead. In 1960, Haynes became the first recipient of the new league’s Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards, and became an AFL champion in 1962.

Haynes spent five years with the franchise, including two years after the team moved to Kansas City in 1963. His professional football career came to an end in 1967, after brief stints with the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. The AFL would later merge with the NFL in 1970 to form the modern version of the league.

Before joining the professional league, Haynes played college football at North Texas State, now the University of North Texas. The Denton, Texas-born halfback, along with teammate Leon Kin, were the first two Black athletes to play college football in Texas when they attended North Texas in 1956, per Brett Vito of the Denton Record-Chronicle.

30 years after his time with the team, Haynes was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1991. His jersey number, No. 28, is one of just 10 that have been retired by the franchise.