Haynes King earned his crown in leading Georgia Tech’s turnaround

TAMPA, Fla. — Where would Georgia Tech football be without quarterback Haynes King?

That’s a fair question, one that King himself likely would dismiss given his propensity to deflect praise to teammates and to shun the spotlight.

But Tech’s small feat of making a bowl game for the first time since 2018 – and winning at least five ACC games since that same season – has much to do with the play, the leadership and the desire from King as anything else in the Yellow Jackets’ locker room. If King can lead Tech to a win over Central Florida at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the Gasparilla Bowl, he will have led the Jackets to their first postseason victory since 2016.

“It would mean a lot for this program, to get it right back on track where we know what this program can do, what this team can do,” King said Tuesday in Tampa.

King’s successes this season are no surprise to those who know him best, or to anyone affiliated with Tech football. How he arrived at this point, a little more than a year after visiting Atlanta as a transfer recruit, is a credit to his upbringing, perseverance and commitment to excellence.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Longview living

King and his sister, Steelie King, grew up with their parents John King and Jodie King in Longview, Texas, a town of about 80,000 folks that lies closer to the Louisiana border than Dallas.

That was there that Haynes grew up with a ball – any sort of ball – in his hands.

“Had to continuously throw a ball around in the house. He never would put it down. Got yelled at a couple of times for that,” said Steelie King, a standout gymnast at Texas Woman’s University. “He was always just like, ‘Let’s go throw the football outside, let’s go throw the football outside.’ And I was the inside person. Like, ‘No it’s cold outside, why would I wanna do that?’ He was just constantly on the go. Never really sitting still. Always had a ball in his hand.”

Haynes began playing organized football in the third grade and started out as a running back. But when one quarterback got hurt and one got sick, Haynes found himself behind center.

“I was the only one that knew the damn plays,” he laughed. “They put me in, and I played pretty good and they just kept me there.”

Haynes, however, wasn’t contained to the football field. He played soccer, baseball and basketball. His father made him run in the Hershey’s Track and Field Games every year.

Jodie King, a former Louisiana-Monroe softball player, coached softball and Haynes recalls leaving school and heading to the diamond to run the bases while his mother directed practice.

As Haynes got older, he joined travel teams in multiple sports. One weekend he’d be in a different town playing baseball, and the next weekend he’d be in Dallas for a soccer tournament. He mostly played center field on the baseball field. On the basketball court he was the head of Longview High’s 1-1-3 defense that required him to run back and forth the width of the court on defense and not do much on offense.

“My dad has always believed in multi-sport athletes,” Haynes said. “I believe doing that developed a lot of motor skills, developed a lot of muscles that if I would have just done football, specialized in just football at an early age, sometimes those muscles might not have developed.”

Credit: AP

A Lobo legend

John King is in the Northwestern State N-Club Hall of Fame. He played offensive line for the Demons in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and was named an All-American in 1990.

Fourteen years later he became the head coach at Longview High School. And it wasn’t long thereafter that his son started to be groomed, and to groom himself, as a quarterback.

Haynes said that about the time he started playing the position in elementary school is about the time he began to study the position, watch quarterbacks on television and in person and hone his craft at being a QB. In the infancy of that evolution, his mother, sister and a tree first stood in his way.

“We had a tire from one of his dad’s trailers or something. We found some rope, and he had a metal stand that he used to have a target on when he was really little. So, we roped the tire, and it took us several times to get it the right height, and we would move it around in the front yard,” Jodie King explained. “And we had a tree in the front yard, so he would run around acting like the tree was a defender and he had to throw around it. He had a whole bag full of footballs so he would throw the balls through the tire. Sometimes his sister and I would go at him like we were defensive lineman.”

When Haynes reached Longview High, where his father had built the program into a state powerhouse, most everyone in town expected the coach’s kid to be the Lobos’ next starting quarterback. But John King was guarded against simply handing over the starting quarterback job to his son just because Haynes was, well, his son.

If anything, the coach was even tougher on his son in making him earn the job in the fall of 2017. Longview had two upperclassmen at the position at the start of that season, but after four games, and in the days after a 52-34 loss at Horn, John King (perhaps even begrudgingly) knew it was time to make Haynes the starter quarterback.

Haynes said he learned later that when his father told the rest of the coaching staff, the assistants threw up their hands and said, “finally!”

“We got to the fifth game, and we needed to make the call,” John King said. “I think (Haynes) had proven that he was gonna be the one that would be the best one for the job even though he was a sophomore. I had always told him, ‘You had clearly better be the best or you’re not gonna be the guy.’ He had demonstrated that so we had made the decision to go with him the next week.

“The week prior we had like five turnovers. We got our brains beat in. I took all the skill guys to the (blocking) sled after practice. I was so pissed off at ‘em I said, ‘We’re gonna go hit that seven-man sled.’ Well I took ‘em up there and lo and behold Haynes winds up getting a crick or a spasm in his neck and he can’t practice the next day. And I made the decision for him to be the starter and here he is he can’t practice. Had to take him to a chiropractor and get him realigned. He winds up getting to practice Wednesday and Thursday. That was the week of his first start. His daddy was so old-school and hard-headed I had put him on the sled.”

King would go on to throw for more than 7,500 yards during his prep career and completed 82 touchdown passes. He led Longview to the 2018 state championship, the school’s first state title in 81 years. He became an Under Armour All-American, continued playing for the basketball team and ran on the school’s relay teams in track and field competitions.

One year, the Longview track and field teams needed someone to throw the discuss. Haynes picked it up and advanced to the regional track meet.

“He was a phenomenal athlete,” recalled Jack Stallard, the sports editor of the Longview News-Journal who has covered Longview sports for 26 years. “(I remember) during that championship run (in 2018), it was the state semifinals (against Tascosa). (Haynes) was holding for an extra point, and that PAT was blocked. It bounces straight into a guy’s hands, and he was just gone.

“Haynes not only ran him down, there was a couple guys in front of him so he couldn’t get to the guy. He outran everybody to the point that he caught everybody and then he had to go around ‘em to come back on the guy and tackle him. Just an amazing play, just that desire that, ‘I’m not giving up these two points.’”

Credit: Bob Andres

‘Crushed’ in College Station

During that 2018 season, recruiting began to take off for King.

He said his first scholarship offer was from Louisiana Tech, his first Power 5 offer from Arkansas. Being pursued by college coaches, however, was not in Haynes’ wheelhouse. He acknowledged that his father more than once had to remind him to return the calls and messages of college coaches who desired to speak with him.

Haynes didn’t particularly care for the on-campus photo shoots and social media attention during the process. He loved meeting the coaches in person and talking about football, offense and quarterback play.

In the fall of 2019, When it came time to decide where to play college football, Haynes chose Texas A&M over Tennessee. He said he was enamored with the opportunity to compete in the SEC, knew that coach Jimbo Fisher was there to stay and that he would make all sorts of lifetime connections when enrolling in the Mays Business School.

Stallard joked he was disappointed Haynes left Longview in December of that year to enroll early with A&M. The Lobos could have used him that basketball season.

What transpired the next three years in College Station, Texas, has been well-documented. Haynes struggled on the field, navigating through a global pandemic, injuries, inconsistent play and benchings. There were moments of brilliance, such as when he threw for 253 yards and nearly led the Aggies to an upset of Alabama in 2022. There were times of great uncertainty, such as when he broke his leg during a 2021 game against Colorado.

“I definitely wouldn’t change it,” Haynes said about his time with A&M. “With football, with life in general, I learned a lot being there. I’d never change what happened in the past because, heck, it led me here. I would never change anything, never look back or change the decision.”

In December 2022, Haynes graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in business management. In the 12 A&M games before that, in which Haynes played in only six, he was already considering his future in football and his life.

Haynes said the most difficult part for him was having to make the decision to remain with the Aggies or transfer on his own. His family supported him throughout, but John King told his son that ultimately the choice was his and his alone to make.

On Dec. 2, 2022, Haynes entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal.

“Let’s just say he does not have tears much. He’s the same way day-in and day-out, doesn’t matter. But that was super hard because that’s where he always thought he would be and stay,” Jodie King said. “He made a lot of friends and it was like family. We always thought that he represented everything A&M was built on. That crushed him. It was so hard.

“It was the lowest of the low he could get in his life. It was heartbreaking because he did exemplify every aspect – going to class, getting a real degree while trying to be the quarterback and work hard and teach his teammates. He made lifelong friends, family, there’s high school people, people he grew up with that he knew. It was home. He was able to hunt and fish. Having to make a decision that it was time to move on, I could tell he didn’t really wanna leave because that’s where he was supposed to be.”

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

A Tech man

Haynes has told the story often that one of the hardest phone calls he ever had to make was to Chris Weinke in July 2019. Weinkle was an assistant coach at Tennessee at the time, and Haynes had rang to let Weinke know he’d be playing for the Aggies instead of the Volunteers.

Lo and behold, three years later, Weinke had joined coach Brent Key’s staff at Tech. And Tech was in search of a new QB.

“I wanted him to go, go off, go as far as you can. You can always come back home, you can’t always leave is what I always used to tell him. See the world and be exposed to it,” Jodie King said. “We prayed, and coach Weinke, we really loved him, and out of high school that was the hardest thing for (Haynes) to do was to tell coach Weinke he wasn’t coming (to Tennessee). Just kinda prayed as a mom, ‘Well, maybe one day in the future God would put him back with coach Weinke where he needed to be and where he belonged.’ I didn’t realize it was gonna be this soon.

“That made it a lot easier going over to play for him and coach Key and coach (Buster) Faulkner and coach (Geep) Wade. That was the environment he kind of grew up in, the way those coaches are. He grew up his whole life with nothing but football players and football coaches.”

Much like his prep days at Longview, Haynes wasn’t going to be handed the starting quarterback job once he arrived in Atlanta, a city he had never been to, just because he had experienced three seasons of major college football. The 6-foot-3, 204-pound right-hander would have to start all over and earn the nod in the eight months leading to the 2023 season.

His new coaches and teammates saw that was apparent once Haynes, who also visited Arizona State as a transfer recruit, arrived on campus that he was a force to be reckoned with.

“I always knew since he got here he handled the locker room very well. I thought he was a guy who got along with everybody. I always knew he was talented,” Tech tight end Dylan Leonard said. “I didn’t really see his run game come about until fall camp when he started running more. Summer workouts he’s hitting 22 miles per hour. I’m like, ‘This kid can move.’ That combined with his ability to lead the team, throw the ball, but also hurt people with his legs makes for a special quarterback.”

Said Faulkner: “He’s one of those kids, the first time you meet him you’re like, ‘All right, this guy’s got a chance to be special.’ Just the way that he is, the way that he’s wired, the way he carries himself. He’s a throwback, and he’s been a lot of fun to be around. You can get on him and he can handle it. The thing I like about him is he ain’t afraid to go back at ya – because he’s smart and he works at it. The players love him. The coaches love him.”

On Aug. 22, a little more than a week before Tech’s opener against Louisville, Key announced Haynes as the starting quarterback for the Jackets. Haynes has gone on to throw for 2,755 yards, rush for 648 yards and account for 35 touchdowns in what arguably could be considered one of the best individual seasons in Tech’s illustrious history.

When asked what he was most proud of this season, Haynes said a come-from-behind win at Miami, an upset of North Carolina at home, a road win at Virginia and a victory of Syracuse to get the Jackets to bowl eligibility stood out the most to him.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Set up for success

Haynes King repeated the fifth grade.

No, he wasn’t a delinquent. He wasn’t struggling to keep up academically or a behavioral nightmare. On the contrary, Haynes received his elementary school’s award for maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout his time there.

It just had been predetermined by John and Jodie that at some point Haynes was going to be held back.

“Just felt like he needed to mature and give him a chance to develop physically and mentally,” John said. “He needed another year in terms of that.”

Haynes, who turns 23 on Jan. 9, said he has grown to appreciate that decision by his parents. He said coming into college as an 18-year-old was probably better in the long run than arriving as a 17-year-old.

That maturity aided in Haynes’ ability to graduate from A&M in three years. He’s now taking classes in Tech’s history, technology and society program. He has been an intern with the Press Sports App, did an accelerated internship program that featured 10 businesses in 10 days over the summer and now assists in information-technology services at the Wardlaw Center. Haynes is involved with Tech’s Total Person Program as well.

Back on the field, Haynes is continuing to work toward his ultimate goal of playing in the NFL. And on this he’s not at all bashful about making that dream a reality.

“I feel like a lot of people kind of make that mistake, ‘If I play good this year then I’ll start training for the NFL.’ You have to (train now),” Haynes said. “You’ve gotta prepare your mind, your body and everything else. With how you eat, how you work out, take care of your body, prepare, the way you carry yourself. Being a quarterback, being the face of the team, you can’t wild-out and do all the crazy stuff that everybody else is doing. You gotta handle business and control what you can control.”

Haynes knows he can be better, too. His 15 interceptions, although not all entirely his fault, this season were too many. He said he needs to be more consistent overall, be more of a vocal leader and to continue to strengthen his footwork in the offseason.

Doing those things will strengthen his case to play in the NFL, whether that be after the 2024 or 2025 season.

“Tech’s gonna be in good hands as long as he’s here,” Leonard said. “Whenever someone asks me about him, I only have high praise for what he does. He’s a tough kid, talented as hell, great leader. He’s one of those guys that when he’s out there he makes you want to play better because you want to play better for him. I’ve been so impressed with him and so happy Tech will have him for at least one more year if he doesn’t go to the league. He’s a special quarterback, and Tech’s gonna be in great, great hands as long as he’s here.”

Added Faulkner: “There’s not a lot of guys like him left. He’s tough. He’s smart. He doesn’t let things get to him, mentally or physically. This day and age playing the quarterback position, especially in college football, it’s not easy with everything you’re asked to do and with all the pressure that comes with it. He hasn’t batted an eye. He’s a lot of fun to coach. You ask any coach in that room over there, and they’ll tell you the same thing. We’re lucky to have him. We’re glad he’s our quarterback.”

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Like most of his Tech teammates, King has never played in a bowl game – even though A&M participated in the Orange Bowl after the 2020 season, King was not active. And in 2021, the Aggies’ Gator Bowl appearance was nixed because COVID-19 and other personnel issues depleted the A&M roster.

Winning Friday’s bowl game, then, would be a perfect way to end Haynes’ first season with the Jackets. His innermost circle will be proud no matter the result.

“He never gave up, and he never quit. He kept picking himself up no matter what,” Jodie King said. “In this day and time, how individual everything has become, that he has never changed from putting his team first, being a great teammate, loving the game, the purity of it. Not caught up in all the NIL, all the money, he could care less. He would give his money to anyone on his team who needed it. It’s not about all of that.

“I’m really proud that he never lost the love of the game with all the ugliness that’s out there. He just kept pushing. That’s the thing I’m probably most proud of, is the fight he’s still willing to fight. He’s not a quitter.”

KING’S NOTEWORTHY 2023 STATS

» His 3,403 yards of total offense rank second in Tech single-season history, behind only Tech legend Joe Hamilton’s 3,794 yards in 1999, when Hamilton finished second in Heisman Trophy voting.

» His 26 touchdown passes this season rank second in Tech single-season history, behind only Hamilton’s 29 in 1999.

» He is one of only two FBS players in this season with at least 2,700 passing yards, 600 rushing yards, 25 TD passes and five touchdown runs. The other is Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU.

» He ranks fourth in Tech history in single-season passing yards (2,755) and third in pass completions (219), and he already ranks in the top 10 in career TD passes and in the top 15 in career passing yards.