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SAN FRANCISCO – Charles Haley knows exactly what it takes to win the Super Bowl—he should know, winning it five times in his Hall of Fame career.
The San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys legend actually got a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for a sixth time on Tuesday when the NFL caught him unveiling it at the Super Bowl LX fan experience as part of honoring a longtime FedEx employee.
“He’s on my team now, he’s an All-Pro to me,” Haley told Pakinomist Digital of Jesse Alvarado, a FedEx driver of 32 years.
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Charles Haley of the San Francisco 49ers watches from the sideline during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at 3 Comm Park in San Francisco. (Tom Hauck/Allsport)
Haley saw similarities between Alvarado and the five championship teams he was on.
“Hard work, dedication and keeping the hunger going,” Haley said. “It’s the players. When you talk about the team, you talk about the Cowboys, Jerry [Jones] sold the star, but the players are the stars. That is what must be understood. It all comes down to the players – the way they practice, the way they train, the way they sacrifice for each other, that’s going to determine who’s going to be here next year.”
Charles Haley addresses the crowd during halftime of the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings at Levi Stadium on September 14, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. 49ers defeated Vikings 20-3. (Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
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Haley’s five rings helped him get a bust in Canton ten years ago, but he had to wait his turn. He did not enter the Hall of Fame until his sixth ballot.
Somehow, both Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft will wait until at least next year. That has led to calls for changes to the voting system, but Haley urged Belichick, Kraft and everyone else to just be patient.
“I think it’s fair now. They changed the way it was, you have to earn it,” he said. “I was number six before I came in. I’m not the one asking that. If you deserve to be there, you’ll get there.”
Charles Haley of the San Francisco 49ers in action during an NFL football game circa 1988 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Haley played for the 49ers from 1986-91 and 1998-99. (Focus on Sports/Getty Images)
Haley retired with 100.5 sacks and two First-Team All-Pro nods. Belichick and Kraft each have six Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots, while Belichick has two more from his days as the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator.
