Off Camera with. . . Darren Haynes

Darren Haynes (Rich Arden / ESPN Images)
Darren Haynes (Rich Arden / ESPN Images)

Editor’s note: Welcome to “Off Camera with. . .,” a Front Row series that introduces you to some of the studio anchors and hosts at ESPN. Today, we meet Darren Haynes, who joined ESPN earlier this year as a studio anchor.

How did you choose your profession or how did it find you? As a college football player, I transferred from the University of Rhode Island to the University of New Haven. My former Science Education major at URI was not offered at UNH. So my mother said, “Darren, you have a passion for sports, you are not shy, you are well-liked and you have an outgoing personally. Why not look into majoring in sports broadcasting?” The rest is history. Now my Mom wants 10 percent of my paycheck!

Favorite Quote: “Good things happen to good people who work hard.”

Hidden Talent: I can grill a tasty steak! My dad taught me how to cook a steak probably when I was seven years old. Grilling steaks in my family is such a big deal, there’s the “Haynes secret ingredient” which we apply to our steaks when grilling. The secret ingredient is so classified, the women in our family are not even allowed to know. Anyone who has witnessed me grill a steak notices that I hide the secret ingredient in a bottle wrapped in paper to protect its content. I also love to bake cakes. . . no secret ingredient needed.

Best advice you have received: “The best way to learn how to do something is by doing it.” – The late Bill Gonillo (News 12 Connecticut)

Thankful for: My daughter Joelle and the love and support from my family.

Words of wisdom: People are like colors. Some people like blue, while others may like red. One day you will meet someone who likes your color, so always stay true to who you are and what you believe.

A favorite tradition: I must sit in my lucky seat at my parents’ house for every UConn basketball game.

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