COLUMBUS, Ohio — Joe Haden was embarrassed. He was humbled. He was upset — mostly with himself.
Never had a young shutdown cornerback felt more defenseless than Haden did nine years ago this week. That’s when the NFL announced his four-game suspension for violating its substance abuse policy. He had tested positive for the stimulant Adderall, which he reportedly had used to stay up all night partying in Las Vegas during the offseason.
Haden had won a national title with the University of Florida, entered the league as the No. 7 overall selection in 2010 and excelled for a Browns’ franchise once notorious for squandering high draft picks. But one bad decision had sullied his reputation and jeopardized a potential long career.
“No one situation defines your character, but a lot of people criticized me,” Haden told DK Pittsburgh Sports recently. “I heard them calling me ‘pill popper.’ That’s not me, and that’s what was most hurtful. . . . When something like that happens, you feel like you are sitting there with your pants down, you know what I’m saying? People judge you, talk crap on you and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
It was the lowest point in Haden’s career. It also served as a springboard that allowed him to evolve into an NFL outlier — a cornerback in his 30s still playing at a relatively high level.
Since returning from the suspension, he’s made three Pro Bowls, including one with the Steelers, who he joined in 2017 after the Browns released him. His 29 career interceptions place him second in the league since 2010 and his 149 passes defensed in that span are the most of any player.
Last season, Haden ranked 10th among coverage players, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, which used seven metrics to produce its ratings. He was the oldest player on the list, and one of just two, Xavier Rhodes of the Colts being the other, who was age 30 or older.
The top 10 coverage players of 2020. 🔒 (via @NextGenStats)
— NFL (@NFL) June 13, 2021
“It was probably good that it happened,” former Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster said of Haden’s suspension. “Getting publicly shamed for something he knows he’s not about, that made him sit back and take stock.”
Haden has become one of the most respected players in the Steelers’ locker room for his ability and his mentorship of young defensive backs. While it could be his last season in Pittsburgh — he’s likely to test the free-agent market in 2022 after being unable to negotiate a contract extension at age 32 — Haden’s career has lasted longer than many anticipated following the suspension.
As he prepares for Sunday’s season opener in Buffalo against the Bills, Haden candidly admits the four-game ban was a turning point, a crossroads in his career.
“That was the biggest change in my whole entire life — 1,000 percent,” he said. “I was the same good dude, but I just didn’t have my priorities in line like I needed to. I was in the streets a little bit too much, and that’s not where you need to be.”
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Joe Haden and his wife, Sarah.
When cornerback James Pierre arrived in Pittsburgh last season as an undrafted free agent, one of the first veterans to greet him was Haden. He instantly took an interest in Pierre and offered constructive criticism when he saw the youngster making mistakes.
“He told me to stay on top (of things),” Pierre said. “Stay even-keeled no matter what at all times.”
Haden’s willingness to offer guidance to a fringe player surprised nobody within the organization. The defensive back has done it from the moment he joined the team. It’s not just tips on technique and nuances of the position, either.
He’s sat privately with young players and talked about the adjustments necessary to transition to a pro lifestyle and the temptations surrounding it.
“You’re going to have a lot more leisure time,” Haden said. “You’re going to be getting checks. . . . You’re a professional football player now. You have no homework. Go home and take care of your body. Make sure you stay out of the streets as much as possible.”
Haden speaks from experience.
He arrived in Cleveland and flashed like a comet in 2010, intercepting six passes as a rookie. With LeBron James off in South Beach chasing championship rings, Haden became one of the city’s athletic darlings.
The product of a great family and terrific college program, Haden was a winner. His smile and personality made him an instant fan favorite. He was flashy on the field and in the community, collecting sneakers and luxury cars. He had multiple cell phones, Haden recalled, and sometimes needed to keep them “face down” depending on the company he was with that night.
He seemed to be everywhere, sitting court-side for big Cavaliers’ games and spending late hours in the city’s hot spots.
“It was my second year in the league (in 2011) and I was balling, making plays,” Haden said. “I had money. I won a national championship. I was having my best life.”
While the losing seasons continued unabated, Haden and left tackle Joe Thomas were seen as the foundational pieces that could help the Browns spark a turnaround. Haden loved his teammates and they loved him back — even as some grew concerned about all the late nights and his man-about-town persona.
In the summer of 2012, the fast life caught up with him.
“I was in the clubs, hanging out a little too late and having a great time,” Haden said. “I was still getting to practice and doing my work, but I wasn’t making the main thing (football) the main thing as much as I should have.”
Haden played in the 2012 season opener and picked off a Michael Vick pass before beginning his four-week ban. The Browns lost all four games in his absence en route to a 5-11 season.
Instead of remaining in Cleveland, he returned home to his native Maryland during the suspension. He spoke with his parents who, while disappointed with his actions, supported him unfailingly. Haden also made some life-altering decisions, the most important of which was getting engaged to Sarah Mahmoodshahi, who he married a year later.
“She brought simplicity to my life,” Haden said of the mother of his two kids, Joey and Jett. “She’s not just my wife, she’s my best friend. She helped settle me down.”
Adderall is not the kind of hardcore drug that’s sidetracked so many promising careers like that of Haden’s former teammate Josh Gordon. But he swore off the lifestyle even while retaining the nice cars and closets full of sneakers.
Haden apologized to his teammates. He traded the nightclubs for golf clubs and started going on date nights with teammates and their spouses.
“To me, he just seemed more focused and mature,” Thomas wrote in a text-message exchange. “More driven to be great and he seemed to change his priorities more from off-the-field things to becoming a professional at his craft. It showed up on the field as he went on to consistently play better and better.”
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Joe Haden with the Browns.
The late author and social activist James Baldwin is credited with a quote that could serve as a cautionary tale for businesses and sports franchises around the globe:
“I can’t believe what you say because I see what you do.”
Translation: Leaders are judged by their actions not their words.
Whether they realize it or not, veterans are constantly being evaluated and scrutinized by peers, particularly the young and impressionable ones.
Haden had his eyes trained on Cleveland cornerback Sheldon Brown, who was still making plays at age 33 in 2012. Brown was a consummate pro who spoke softly and led by example, having reached the playoffs six times with the Eagles.
“He was the dude; he didn’t even know I was watching him all the time,” Haden said. “How he prepared, what he did. (I watched him) just because he was an older vet who knew what to do.”
Brown helped Haden navigate a difficult 2012 season. He taught the young defensive back an invaluable lesson — longevity in the NFL is about more than sheer talent.
“When you first get in the league, you think you are going to be around 15 years,” Haden said. “You don’t understand the business aspect of it. You get to year 3 or 4 and you start to see the turnover, guys getting cut. It’s like, ‘I thought that guy would be in the league forever. Why didn’t he get picked up?’
“You start to see those things and it makes you dial in. It can be a very small window when you are making this kind of money and being able to maximize it. I didn’t want to f*** that up.”
In 2013, Haden hung a laminated sheet of paper on his locker with an outline of the Hawaiian Islands. It was a daily reminder of where he wanted to go at season’s end — Honolulu, site of the Pro Bowl. He reached his goal in consecutive seasons and helped transform the Browns’ secondary into one of the league’s best in 2014.
But two years later, the Browns were facing another rebuild and Haden’s play had cratered due in part to injuries that limited him to a combined 18 games over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Pro Football Focus labeled his five-year, $67.5 million deal, signed in 2015, as the league's worst for a cornerback.
The Browns opted to cut him prior to the 2017 season, stunning his veteran teammates. “We were devastated,” Thomas wrote.
Free to sign with any team, he chose the rival Steelers, who had battled him for seven seasons and were eager to reunite him with an old teammate.
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Joe Haden and his oldest son, Joey, on their way to golf.
Midway through the 2018 season, Christmas came early for the Steelers. Players and support staff arrived at work to find Air Jordan sneakers in their lockers, Foster said. These weren’t the kind you buy at Foot Locker, but the hard-to-find models that often require connections.
In this case, they were gifts from Haden, a Jordan Brand endorser.
“I always tell people that you can be big time, but not above people, and Joe is the perfect example of that,” Foster said.
While Haden played the majority of his career in Cleveland, Foster believes he embodies what the Steelers value in a draft pick. In fact, coach Mike Tomlin went out of his way to speak to Haden during the 2010 draft process, telling him: “I know we can’t get you, we’re not picking high enough, but we wanted to meet you.”
The Steelers selected Haden’s college teammate Maurkice Pouncey at No. 18 overall only to put them together again seven years later.
“Honestly, I think everything happens for a reason,” Haden said. “I’m super grateful having gone through that and being on the Steelers, being with this team. I love it here. Coach Tomlin, the coaching staff, they get it. They treat people the right way. I think being in Cleveland helped me a lot, but you know that if you were drafted to a winning team, your name would be out there more. All the times I went to the Pro Bowl and we weren’t winning many games, it would have been even better. All that just builds character.”
Haden might arrive at the practice facility in a luxury vehicle, but Foster said he competes every day like the 53rd player on roster. The dichotomy sets a good example for youngsters trying to fight their way up the depth chart.
The retired offensive lineman said Haden’s work ethic had a positive influence in the development of Cam Sutton, Terrell Edmunds and Mike Hilton among others. Pierre has gone from a special-teams player to a cornerback expected to contribute in nickel packages.
Haden’s approach to leadership mirrors that of his old mentor Sheldon Brown.
“I’m way more of an actions guy,” he said. “I like to show them, I don’t want to just talk a lot. . . . When I see these dudes coming in, as long they are humble guys, I’m willing to help them get better. If you think you know everything, I got no time for that.”
Haden yearns for one more shot at a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh. He’s appeared in only one playoff game, a 45-42 loss to the Jaguars in 2017, and he was sidelined for last season’s setback against his former team due to COVID-19.
The Steelers probably need another Pro Bowl-caliber season from Haden if they hope to qualify for the playoffs and make a deep run. It’s a big ask of someone playing a position littered with steep declines in performance after age 30.
Haden believes he’s as fast as he was five years ago. He also says he’s nowhere close to mulling retirement.
“I know I’ve got at least four more years to ball out, and we’ll see what happens from there,” Haden said.
Pedigree and leadership qualities aside, the Steelers are understandably hesitant in offering a 32-year-old corner a multi-year extension. There’s little question, however, as to why Haden remains a valuable contributor nine years removed from the darkest moment in his career.
“He’s got more left in the tank because of his approach to the game and how he goes about living his life,” Foster said.
While Haden can still run with elite receivers, he would rather hang with his two kids on the golf course when the games are over.
“That suspension, it kind of tightened me up,” he said. “It made me realize I’m not missing anything. Been there, done that, been out to the clubs. ‘Oh, tonight is gonna be crazy? Nah, it’s the same thing as the night before.’ I got everything I need in the house.”
Haden has come to realize you can own fast cars and still enjoy life’s slower pace.
DK Pittsburgh Sports beat writer Dale Lolley contributed to this report.
