Albert Haynesworth: Seeing Red
After a tumultuous, violence-filled career in Tennessee, Albert Haynesworth is now with the Washington Redskins, but an ongoing dispute with Redskin’s coach Mike Shanahan might be sending this “bad boy of the block” back home.
Albert Haynesworth spent most of his formative years in Tennessee; in fact, he spent most of his football career there as well. In college he played in Knoxville at the University of Tennessee. There he amassed 66 tackles, five sacks, nine pass deflections and 31 quarterback pressures. He was also named Freshman All-American in 1999 before moving on to the National Football League.
He was the 15th draft pick in the 2002 NFL draft where he joined his home team, the Tennessee Titans. He was traded to the Washington Redskins in the 2009 off-season, but now it seems the 29-year-old noise-maker might be poised for a daring return to the city he calls home.
The New York Times considered Haynesworth to be a potentially brutal run-stopper back in 2002 when he was selected 15th in the overall draft. And after he joined the team as the third defensive tackle selected amongst a draft group considered to be chock-full of talented defensive linesmen, he didn’t disappoint.
In 2007 he was elected to the Pro Bowl for the first time. He was then ranked second in his team with six sacks and 11 games played up to the selection. Of his selection in the Pro Bowl Haynesworth is quoted as saying: “It’s an awesome feeling. It’s kind of a load off my back because I didn’t want last year’s suspension to define my career. It was a difficult time in my life, but I was determined to keep working hard to get to this point and earn the respect of my teammates, coaches and fans.”
The incident Haynesworth was referring to was a major one. In 2006 against the Dallas Cowboys, Haynesworth got upset after a score on a rushing play by Dallas running back Julius Jones. Andre Gurode was on the ground, and while in a defenceless position Haynesworth removed Gurode’s helmet and stomped on his head. One of Haynesworth’s cleats missed Gurode’s right eye by mere centimetres. This was not the first time Haynesworth was put under the limelight for his un-sportsmanlike conduct.
In the 2003 training camp Haynesworth kicked his then team mate, centre Justin Hartwig, in the chest; he even had to be restrained by his other team mates. And in 2007 in the week one game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Haynesworth slammed running back Maurice Jones-Drew to the ground after having already tackled him. He was naturally called for unnecessary roughness and fined $5000.
When asked if he planned on becoming a gentler player, of potentially correcting his game when faced with similar situations in the future Haynesworth had this to say: “I’m not going to be any gentler or whatever. Maybe I’ll just help them up.” These actions labelled Haynesworth as a hothead and a potential danger to the safety of others, but his team stood by him.
Despite having attitude and emotional control issues in his 2006 season which lead to disciplinary actions on behalf of the NFL, Haynesworth is a respected tackle. Sports Illustrated published a poll in which he was said to be the most dominant defender in the game. It was therefore only natural that analysts speculated he would become a sought-after player should he ever become a free agent.
Speculation made way to clear-cut fact in the off-season of 2009 when Haynesworth became, as predicted by his contract, an unrestricted free agent. It was then that, on the very first day of free agency, he was signed to a seven-year, $100 million contract with the Washington Redskins. The details of the contract include $41 million guaranteed, and if all incentives are met he could be making out with $115 million.
When asked about his Tennessee departure, Haynesworth sited Washington’s large fan base and media outlet. But less than four months later there were already problems with the new deal.
The NFL, in April of 2009, considered charging the Redskins because they contacted Haynesworth before the free agency period began. But the major problems for the relationship between Washington and Haynesworth was not external, but internal.
Haynesworth didn’t like Greg Blache’s defence. He even stated that he could not “survive another season in this system if it stays the way it is”.
With the January addition of Mike Shanahan on the team, things only got worst. Haynesworth refused to participate in the team’s off-season program because he wanted to be traded. The reason for that is Haynesworth’s unwillingness to play nose tackle in the new 3-4 defense.
Later, in this year’s pre-season, when it seemed that the dust had finally settled between the two, Shanahan made Haynesworth play almost an entire game against Arizona, while the regular starters had the night off.
It is still unknown whether Shanahan will even play Haynesworth in Sunday night’s opening game against Haynesworth’s personal demon team, Dallas. Shanahan is quoted as saying: “I will play the best players ready to play”.
Since Haynesworth’s departure from the Titans they’ve struggled in the middle of their line. Haynesworth himself seems like only the shadow of the man he once was managing only four sacks with his new team.
Due to Haynesworth’s disapproval of Red Skins' defensive scheme, and with the Titans needing exactly what it was the defensive tackle had to offer, it seems rumours of his impending return may be founded in reality. Maybe this brash young man just needs a return to his roots, in order to find the game he’s seemingly lost over the recent months.
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