Mike Haffner

{{Short description|American football player (1942–2024)}}

{{For|the American state legislator|Mike Haffner (politician)}}

{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Mike Haffner

| image =

| position = Wide receiver

| number = 84, 35

| birth_date = {{birth date|1942|7|7}}

| birth_place = Waterloo, Iowa, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|10|22|1942|7|7}}

| death_place = Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

| undraftedyear = 1965

| college = UCLA

| pastteams =

| highlights =

| statlabel1 = Receptions

| statvalue1 = 59

| statlabel2 = Receiving yards

| statvalue2 = 991

| statlabel3 = Touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 7

| pfr =

}}

Michael Arthur Haffner{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HaffMi00.htm |title=Mike Haffner |access-date=2009-03-05 |publisher=pro-football-reference.com |date= }} (July 7, 1942 – October 22, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for four seasons with the Denver Broncos (1968–1970){{cite web |url=http://www.denverbroncos.com/resources/custom/PDF/RecordBook/2008/All%20Time%20Roster%20H-J.pdf |title=Broncos All-Time Roster |access-date=2009-03-05 |publisher=denverbroncos.com |date= }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} and Cincinnati Bengals (1971).{{cite web|url=http://www.bengals.com/team/Alumni.asp |title=Bengals All-Time Roster |access-date=2009-03-05 |publisher=bengals.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223075106/http://bengals.com/team/Alumni.asp |archive-date=February 23, 2009 }} He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. {{As of|2017}}'s NFL off-season, he still held {{Cn span|text=the Broncos rookie franchise record|date=November 2024}} for yards per reception at 30.5, for a 4 reception, 122 yard performance on December 14, 1968, against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Life and career

After retirement, Haffner was a color commentator for the NFL on NBC. He is most noted for being the sideline reporter who inadvertently captured on his live microphone a two‐word expletive uttered by Terry Donahue who was voicing his disapproval over a Bruins interception being nullified due to a penalty in NBC's Christmas Day telecast of the 1978 Fiesta Bowl. Haffner and Donohue had been roommates at UCLA.[https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/26/archives/two-words-from-the-coach-with-expletives-undeleted.html "Two Words From the Coach With Expletives Undeleted," The Associated Press (AP), Monday, December 25, 1978.] Retrieved December 7, 2020

Haffner died in Las Vegas on October 22, 2024 at the age of 82.[https://denvergazette.com/sports/broncos-haffner/article_3cac745c-97e0-11ef-a7aa-a3ea72b81075.html Former Broncos WR Mike Haffner, broadcaster dies at 82][https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/michael-haffner-obituary?id=56719788 Michael Arthur Haffner]

References