CFB: A Player's Point of View
In preparation for this piece, I spoke with Dylan Haines, a former Texas defensive back, who is currently striving to become a professional football player, in either the NFL or CFL. He played three seasons for the Longhorns under Charlie Strong.
Dylan Haines, who was born in Austin, and moved to Lago Vista prior to high school, grew up with love for the University of Texas already ingrained inside of him. John Haines, his father, was a defensive tackle for the Longhorns from 1980-1983, before going on and playing in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings. Sandra Haines, his mother, also attended Texas and competed on the track & field team.
After moving, Haines went to Lago Vista High School, where he found his calling in a number of sports. He played baseball, basketball, football, and track & field. After redshirting his freshman season at the University of Texas, Haines became an integral part of the Longhorns program in 2014 as a sophomore.
He started 12-out-of-13 games, with the exception of the first game of the season against North Texas, and by seasons end, he led the team in interceptions with four. In the Texas Bowl, against Arkansas, Haines recorded seven tackles and one pass break-up.
In 2015, his junior campaign, he once again led the team, and ranked third in the Big 12, with five picks, and helped the Longhorns pick up victories over No. 10 Oklahoma and No. 12 Baylor. 2016 saw Haines' senior year, where he picked up another team-high four interceptions, including two takeaways against No. 20 Oklahoma, and showcased his defensive prowess in wins over No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 8 Baylor.
Haines ended his three-year career with 111 solo tackles, 50 assisted tackles, 13 interceptions, and one forced fumble. Check out my entire interview transcript with the former Texas defensive back below, as he answered a number of questions on the state of Texas football, Charlie Strong, the Big Ten, and gave his College Football Playoff picks.
1. What you are doing right now, after playing at the University of Texas?
Dylan: (I) went to a couple NFL minicamps. (I) haven't been signed yet so I'm hoping to get picked up before camp but If that doesn't happen, I'm still considering the CFL or just looking for a job here in Texas.
2. What do you expect from Texas' season, with Tom Herman at the helm, in terms of wins and losses and competing in the Big 12?
Dylan: I expect to see a tough football team. I went to a spring practice and they get after it. If they want to compete for the Big 12 championship some of the guys are really going to have to step up.
3. How do you think Charlie Strong will do at South Florida, in his first season with the Bulls?
Dylan: I think they will do well. I don't know a whole lot about that team specifically, but I really liked Coach Strong and respected him a great deal. I thought he was a great coach, but things just didn't go his way while he was at Texas.
4. Who do you expect to win the Big Ten, with Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin looking like the top tier teams?
Dylan: I like Michigan. I like Coach Harbaugh and think he is going to build a dynasty there in the years to come.
5. After Alabama has been dominant for much of the last decade, who do you see being the next potential dynasty and why?
Dylan: Michigan. Coach Harbaugh is doing great things with recruiting and he seems to be real close with his players.
6. What four teams are your favorites to reach the College Football Playoff and who do you have as your most likely champion?
Dylan: Alabama, Michigan, Florida State, (and) Oklahoma. Alabama to win it. Hard to go against them.
A lot of people are picking the Texas Longhorns and South Florida Bulls as sleeper teams to win 8-10 games, while Haines' Big Ten picks and CFP predictions are all expected to be ranked inside of the preseason top-10 rankings that will be released within the next couple of weeks. And even though Michigan is who he believes will become a dynasty in the near future, Haines is still picking the Alabama Crimson Tide to take home their second national title in three years.
Photo Credit: ESPN, Horns247, and Texas Sports.
