“You’re walking out in the tunnel. They got the lights flashing, the pregame music blaring, the smoke comes out and then you can’t see anything….once you get out there, you just look up and the stands are full, everyone’s screaming and roaring…that’s a trigger for ‘it’s time to roll.’”
When redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King is running out onto Bobby Dodd Field, though, there’s also one nagging thought in the back of his mind.
“Oh my god, please, don’t trip.” he admitted, smiling, during a sit-down interview with the Technique.
Moving forward has been at the core of King’s entire college career. It started in Longview, Texas, where the young quarterback grew into his own under the tutelage of his father, John. John is currently the head coach for Longview and over his 20 years in coaching, the elder King has amassed a 6A State Championship, 3 State Finals appearances,15 District Championships and 20 playoff appearances. His dad’s background as a former offensive lineman factored into his son’s development.
“He definitely helped me out. I started at a higher level than a lot of other people. … [My dad] is an offensive line guy, so I was very advanced in the run game. He’s old-school; … he runs power dive options, stuff like that. So, I just kind of knew the reads depending on how defenses play fronts already. When I played in high school, he’d send me out there and if they’re in this front, he wants to run on that front. He [wanted] me to check that and and catch on to what [the front] is and what’s good for different fronts.” said King.
That education in defensive diagnosis served King well as he established himself as one of the best recruits in the state of Texas. He earned a top-15 ranking and a four-star rating before committing to Texas A&M.
In College Station, his tenure at A&M did not go as planned. He began as a backup and it was not until the 2021 season that King finally got his starting opportunity. He opened the season with a solid performance against Kent State, throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns alongside three interceptions in the 41-10 win. However, the next week was not as smooth.
Against Colorado, he only threw two passes before disaster struck. He broke his ankle on a third-down scramble, which took him out of the game instantly.
“We’re at Mile High Stadium in Colorado and my first reaction is that I got to go see how the team is doing. I can’t sit down here under the stadium, thinking about me. I’m out, but I want to make sure my team is good and that the other guy in my quarterback room that I just had a battle with is doing good … when you make it about something that’s bigger than yourself, yourself does not matter. Anything for the team. You’re going to be selfless and it just improves the level of everybody. … It’s a level of confidence you give to the people around you.” King said
After working his way back from the injury and playing in five games amidst an up-and-down 2022 season for the Aggies, he made the decision to enter the transfer portal at the end of the year. The portal led him down to Atlanta as he committed to Tech on Dec. 18.
“Atlanta was the first major city I’ve ever lived in … Longview is not a big city. A&M [has] a college town. Transferring here was definitely an eye opener. The city never sleeps, you know. There’s always something going on, but it’s also good because of the amount of resources that are easily accessible. There’s plenty of good opportunities and it’s something I definitely wouldn’t change.” King said.
One thing that helped King transition to his new surroundings was the Atlanta food scene. He’s found some favorites, namely one that many Tech students flock to.
“My favorite place is probably Mary Mac’s [Tea Room]. I just love that kind of food. Some days, I get the chicken, some days, I like pork or the beef pot roast. You just drop a pencil on the menu and it’ll usually be pretty good,” King said.
Perhaps equally as important was his transition to the team itself. “I was a little scared at first,” he admitted. “But what made the whole transition smooth was pretty much our locker room. We had a bunch of really good guys that were just friendly, open — the camaraderie in the locker room was just different. It was something that I hadn’t really been a part of in a while, but the guys in that locker room just made that transition easier and more fun,” he explained.
Specifically, a few players within that locker room really took to King and made him feel at home. “The biggest one is probably [redshirt junior quarterback] Brody Rhodes … he’s my travel roommate, so we’re pretty tight. He probably made one of the biggest impacts on me and the quarterback room in general. At that time, they were a pretty close, tight knit group. Since I’ve been here, I feel like it’s been even closer.” he said.
The quarterback room of himself, Rhodes, redshirt sophomore Zach Pyron, freshman Graham Knowles and freshman Aaron Philo has been rife with healthy competition. “You’re going to get pushed,” King acknowledged, “but it’s not going to be backstabbing stuff. It’s all genuine. You’re not going to get handed anything. With them pushing you each and every day, it is just going to make you better.” he said.
Now deeply entrenched in the program, King has taken on a leadership role of his own. “The biggest deal is just to be you and be genuine. If you’re trying to fake something and put on a front, they’re definitely gonna smell the rat. They’re going to know your line and the best thing is to be genuine, have conversations with other people and learn what they’re going through. Obviously, do your work day-in, day-out and don’t complain.” King said.
After winning the quarterback battle in camp, King took the reins as the starter and didn’t look back. During his breakout 2023 season, he completed 61.6% of his passes for 2842 yards, 27 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while running for an additional 737 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He established himself as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. However, all that running does tend to take a toll on his body. King manages it in two different ways. The first one is physical.
“I don’t take a whole lot of big hits,” he stated. The second is all mental. “I don’t care if I’m hurt a lot or not. I’m going to try this thing out and see if I can still go. You’re not taking me out of this thing.” King said.
This season, King has already run for 446 yards and seven touchdowns. Tech fans saw how much of a force multiplier he is as a runner during the massive upset victory over No. 4 Miami. He rushed the ball a staggering 20 times for 93 rushing yards and a touchdown.
After the big win, King was aware of all the praise being showered on the team. Or, perhaps he was not. “The biggest deal for me is to delete social media. As soon as you get caught up in it, you’re worried about how everybody else thinks of you and how everybody else sees you instead of what actually is important. … Ball up top. If things didn’t go well, you can’t just sit there, dwell on it and wish this happened well. You gotta move on.” he said.
As Tech prepares for NC State on Nov. 21, it’s back to business as usual. In practice, he’ll be competing against junior cornerback Ahmari Harvey, who King described by saying “With the way he competes, if we get open on him, it’s going to be a good game.” He might spend time at Mary Mac’s or play EA Sports College Football 25 with redshirt senior tight end Brett Seither, who, per King’s description, throws to himself the whole time. However, if the victory against Miami is any indication, the only place that King truly feels at home is under the lights of Bobby Dodd.