PA Season Ticket Holder
05-11-2003, 02:44 PM
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Relaxing in the Halas Hall lobby after finishing his first minicamp with the Bears, Michael Haynes glanced out the window at a parade of limousines and shook his head in disbelief.
Not long ago the first-round pick's primary mode of transportation was a C-130 military aircraft that buzzed over perilous jungles in Central America. At least that's how Haynes traveled to road games during his first three years of high school ball while living in Panama, the son of military parents.
More than a week after being chosen with the 14th overall selection in the draft, the 22-year-old still can't believe that the unconventional path he followed led to the NFL.
"I (think about) that all the time," Haynes said. "You've got to remember, Panama is still considered a Third World country. A couple of places where we used to go fishing, the houses are really small. They have no doors, no windows; they just have sheets.
"The major city, Panama City, is still pretty run down. You look at it and you're like, 'Man, this is nothing compared to any major city we have here.'"
An avid animal lover who grew up dreaming of becoming a veterinarian, Haynes once brought home a six-foot snake he had discovered slithering through the jungle. He was punished by being forced to go on a 5 a.m. run with his mother, who was serving in the Army at the time.
http://www.chicagobears.com/news/index.cfm?cont_id=180067&right_include=/includes/dsp_bearsnews_module.cfm&include=&show_headline=true
Not long ago the first-round pick's primary mode of transportation was a C-130 military aircraft that buzzed over perilous jungles in Central America. At least that's how Haynes traveled to road games during his first three years of high school ball while living in Panama, the son of military parents.
More than a week after being chosen with the 14th overall selection in the draft, the 22-year-old still can't believe that the unconventional path he followed led to the NFL.
"I (think about) that all the time," Haynes said. "You've got to remember, Panama is still considered a Third World country. A couple of places where we used to go fishing, the houses are really small. They have no doors, no windows; they just have sheets.
"The major city, Panama City, is still pretty run down. You look at it and you're like, 'Man, this is nothing compared to any major city we have here.'"
An avid animal lover who grew up dreaming of becoming a veterinarian, Haynes once brought home a six-foot snake he had discovered slithering through the jungle. He was punished by being forced to go on a 5 a.m. run with his mother, who was serving in the Army at the time.
http://www.chicagobears.com/news/index.cfm?cont_id=180067&right_include=/includes/dsp_bearsnews_module.cfm&include=&show_headline=true