Michael Haynes was a force to be reckoned with in college, though he didn’t truly break out until the 2002 season.

And oh what a season it was.

Heading into the season, he was named to the Ted Hendricks Award watchlist, ultimately becoming a finalist.

He set (at the time) the Penn State season record for sacks, with 15. That record would stand until Carl Nassib set it at 15.5.

He was a terror on the field, and earned numerous accolades off of it:

• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
• First-team All-Big Ten
• Second-team AP All-American

His successes ultimately led him to be selected with the 14th overall pick in the NFL Draft, along with three other Penn Staters: DT Jimmy Kennedy, WR Bryant Johnson, and RB Larry Johnson.

Only 81 days to go!