Winning a championship in professional sports is hard enough. Winning one in two completely different sports? Now that’s something special.

Penn Stater Hinkey Haines did both, winning the 1923 World Series with the New York Yankees before helping the New York Giants win the 1927 NFL championship.

Nearly a century later, Haines remains the only athlete known to have done this. So, let’s take a trip back in time and learn about one of Penn State’s most unique alumni in sports.

Henry Luther “Hinkey” Haines was born on December 23, 1898, in Red Lion, Pennsylvania. His love for sports started early, playing baseball alongside his father on their hometown team.

In 1916, Haines graduated from Red Lion High School as one of just 13 students in his class. He then attended a preparatory school to prepare for college, where his classmates nicknamed him “Hinkey.” Although the nickname didn’t have any particular meaning, it stuck with him for the rest of his life.

Haines began his college career at Lebanon Valley College, spending two years there before leaving to serve in the Army during World War I. However, the war ended before they sent him overseas.

After being discharged as a second lieutenant, Haines enrolled at Penn State, where he would spend the next two years before graduating in 1921 with a degree in commerce and finance.

While in Happy Valley, Haines wasn’t just focused on academics. He was a three-sport athlete, competing in baseball, basketball, and football under head coach Hugo Bezdek.

His football accomplishments were his most notable: he was a third-team All-American in 1920 and a key part of a Nittany Lions team that went 30 games unbeaten across 1920 and 1921.

But Haines’ athletic career was just getting started.

In 1923, Haines wore the pinstripes of the New York Yankees, playing alongside one of baseball’s biggest legends, Babe Ruth.

Haines appeared in 28 regular-season games that year, batting .160 and serving primarily as a reserve outfielder and pinch runner.

Although he wasn’t an everyday starter, Haines still made his mark during the Yankees’ World Series run.

He appeared in two games against the New York Giants, including Game 3, when he replaced Ruth in the outfield. Ruth reportedly praised Haines for his speed, even considering him one of the fastest players in the league.

However, Haines’ biggest moment came in Game 6.

With the Yankees looking to close out the series, Haines scored the tying run before eventually taking his position in center field for the final out. New York went on to win the game and capture the World Series in six games.

Just like that, Haines was a World Series champion.

But apparently, one professional sports championship wasn’t enough. Two years later, Haines traded his baseball glove for a football helmet and joined the New York Giants in 1925.

He quickly became one of the franchise’s early stars, scoring the first two touchdowns in Giants NFL history. His performances also earned him second-team All-Pro honors in both 1926 and 1927.

In 1927, Haines helped lead the Giants to an 11-1-1 record and the franchise’s first NFL championship.

Unlike today’s NFL, there was no Super Bowl or championship game back then. Instead, the team with the best league record was crowned champion.

Haines played a major role in securing that title, breaking free for a 60-yard touchdown run against the New York Yankees, not the ones he played for in 1923, but the football team with the same name.

With that, the Nittany Lion had accomplished something remarkable: winning championships in both Major League Baseball and the NFL.

And somehow, that wasn’t even the craziest thing he did during his football career.

In 1926, Haines participated in a publicity stunt in New York City, catching a football thrown from the top of a 23-story building.

After winning the NFL championship in 1927, Haines planned to retire, but the Giants convinced him to return for nine games in 1928. He retired again after that season, but his professional football career wasn’t quite over.

Near the end of the 1929 season, the Staten Island Stapletons convinced Haines to return for their final four games. After sitting out the 1930 season, Haines returned to Staten Island in 1931 as the team’s head coach.

Things didn’t go exactly as planned.

With the Stapletons struggling early in the season, Haines decided to return to the field despite not having played in nearly two years. He served as both a player and coach for several games before eventually resigning.

His NFL coaching career ended with a 1-3 record.

Although his playing and coaching days were behind him, Haines remained involved in football, eventually working as a referee.

For more information about his life and playing days, you can read his biography on the Society For American Baseball Research.

Penn State has produced countless professional athletes throughout its history, but Haines accomplished something no other player has matched.

From sharing the baseball field with Babe Ruth to helping the Giants win their first NFL championship, Haines left his mark on two professional sports.

Not bad for a Nittany Lion.