You would think after playing football for four years for the Nittany Lions, the toughest thing Penn State All-American defensive end Michael Haynes would have wrestled was a burly offensive lineman from the likes of the University of Iowa or Ohio State.

Michael Haynes, a Penn State All-American defensive end last year and first draft pick of the Chicago Bears, is a proud graduate of the college. He says that after professional football, he wants to earn a master's degree in animal husbandry and then go to veterinary school.

Not so, says Haynes, who was the first-round pick of the National Football League’s Chicago Bears this year. He faced bigger challenges in grappling with a frightened beef calf or tackling an equation in organic chemistry class—both parts of earning his bachelor’s degree in animal sciences.

Speaking on a cell phone from Chicago between Bears workouts, Haynes chuckles when asked if it’s true he is the only graduate of an agricultural college in the NFL. “I think so; I have been told that,” he says. “All the time people react with surprise when they hear that I have an agricultural degree. In my mind, an ag degree is as tough as pre-medicine—and actually I think it is harder to be a vet than a doctor, because animals can’t tell you what’s wrong with them. After professional football, I want to pick up a master’s degree in animal husbandry and then go to veterinary school.”

Haynes is proud of earning his degree here. “The College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State is first-rate,” he says. “The majors are demanding. I really hated the chemistry, but I loved the hands-on activities. I liked working with beef cattle and wildlife the most. I enjoyed the day-to-day work with the cattle at the farm. For me, there was really no option but the ag sciences. I wanted to work with animals.”

During his stay at the University Park campus, Haynes became nearly as well known for his love of animals as his fierce pass rushing and bone-crunching tackles (Haynes set a school season record with seven forced fumbles in 2002). Last summer, he interned with the Center for Wildlife Care in nearby Lemont, Pennsylvania, and at Reptiland in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, getting close interaction with a variety of creatures. His teammates were understandably wary of his unusual pets, including a piranha and a pair of boa constrictors.

Like many alumni, Haynes didn’t realize how well the college had prepared him for life until after he left. “I am definitely realizing more and more that Penn State is a tremendous place to go to school—not just to play football, but especially for the College of Agricultural Sciences,” he says. “You almost have to leave to learn what it means to you.”

He is discovering that playing in the NFL is a full-time job, and that he is being watched carefully. “I get up at 6 a.m. most days and we have all-day workouts five days a week. Everywhere you go, somebody recognizes you. You have to be really careful what you do, what you say, how you act, who you associate with. I am only now realizing how well Coach Joe Paterno prepared me. We worked with no goofing off. That’s the way it is here. I feel like I have an advantage over other rookies, coming from Penn State.”

Haynes, who grew up in Panama City, Panama, when his parents were in the military, is living his dream, and he is determined to make the most of it. “I never thought that I would get to the point where I am now,” he says. “It’s sinking in—I’m in the pros and I’m happy. As a rookie, I’m just trying to learn as much as I can so I can help my team. I can’t wait for the season to start.”

—Jeff Mulhollem

Photo:Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images