Charles Haley has five Super Bowl rings, more than anyone else, acquired during a Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. So, when Haley speaks, people listen.
A lot of people paid attention when Haley, with no reservations, ripped Tom Brady after “DeflateGate,” even after Brady’s New England Patriots won the Super Bowl and he was named MVP.
Haley told the Talk of Fame Network: “I’ve lost all respect [for Brady]. When your integrity is challenged in the game of football, to me, all his Super Bowls are tainted.”
Brady won four times after last weekend’s 28-24 improbable victory over the Seattle Seahawks, saved by the controversial pass play call by coach Pete Carroll that resulted in a Malcolm Butler interception.
Haley was not done.
“You have to say this just didn’t happen overnight,” he said. “Who wants that shadow over them? I could be wrong. But I realize there were 12 balls deflated and 12 ain’t. Then you’ve got [Patriots coach Bill] Belichick coming on three different times trying to explain it. . .You know something is wrong.”
Haley, who was inducted into the Hall last week, was asked to compare Brady to Joe Montana, the 49er great QB
“Joe didn’t have to cheat,” Haley said. “This is what Charles Haley believes—it’s going to come back to haunt (Brady) one day. If the league doesn’t come down on this guy. . . Everybody is talking about it. Nobody believes it was by accident. It is what it is.
“I’m not going to take any of his Super Bowl rings away from him. But it’s sad that it has to be tainted like it is right now. Hopefully they’ll come out and let us know what really happened. Then all the mystery is gone.”