Remembering Chris Henry
On Thursday morning, former West Virginia wideout Chris Henry died due to complications following a fall out of a pickup truck on Wednesday evening. He was only 26 years old.
I worked for the Associated Press Sports Division during my collegiate career at West Virginia University. Henry and I were in the same freshman class (along with about 7,000 other students). His redshirt freshman season was my first season covering Mountaineer football as well.
In no way am I trying to act like I knew Henry personally – quite the opposite. We had several interviewer-interviewee professional interactions, that’s all. But anyone who spends those formative years of their life at WVU knows that there is a special connection between Mountaineer alums. The ties that bind us all together may be unique only to that campus.
Anyway, my first meeting with Henry came the Monday following his first breakout game, September 6, 2003 against East Carolina. I had the opportunity to sit down with him for a profile that the AP editor was going to pen. Bob Hertzel, then-sports editor of the Dominion Post (Morgantown’s daily newspaper) joined me as well. My memories of Chris as an interview subject almost exactly match Mike Casazza’s memories:
- Extraordinarily shy
- Introverted
- Pained to deal with the media
But that was part of the intrigue with Henry, because at that time he had a knack for receiving excessive celebration penalties on the field at WVU. His penchant for the penalty was so high that one of the first Facebook Groups in the WVU chapter was named “Kay-Jay And Chris Henry’s Personal Foul Club.” As I recall, to add further mystique to himself, Henry completely skipped out on post-game interviews following one of his brightest moments as a Mountaineer.
Memories Of Chris Henry
After a 2004 home game with Maryland (one of WVU’s border rivals) couldn’t be decided in 60 minutes, Henry caught the game winning touchdown on WVU’s first OT possession. He celebrated by throwing the ball high into the air, roaring, and celebrating with teammates in a mass of gold and blue. I’m not alone in cherishing the Maryland memory as my favorite Chris Henry moment. Fellow WVU alum and MLS Hooligan Drew Epperley remembers that moment most as well.
His career-best game in gold and blue came at the Carrier Dome in 2004 against Syracuse – 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. Oh… and he did that on less than 8 catches. The guy was a deep threat with height and hops – a tough matchup for any D1 cornerback.
During my time in the press box at WVU, I had the audacity once to compare Henry’s crazy skills to another tall, talented, and troubled wideout who grew up in West Virginia. When Henry was drafted in the third round by the Bengals following that season and Ochocinco made the same comparison during training camp in 2005, I knew I wasn’t crazy.
Instead, I knew I was right.
Final Thoughts On Chris Henry
It’s a shame that most people only knew Chris Henry for the arrests and suspensions that came during his NFL career, because he was great to watch in college. His true talent was never fully realized in the NFL, and it’s a shame it never will be.
All recent accounts of Henry lead me to believe he was turning his life around at age 26. A beautiful fiancee, providing support for three kids, and most importantly – staying out of trouble. Chris Henry had grown up and was entering the prime years of his football career – it’s too bad we all will miss that.
Slim – you will be missed. Thank you for the memories and the team at College Fantasy Coach prays that you rest in peace.
Montani Semper Liberi.
