Chris Henry (wide receiver)

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Chris Henry

Free Agent — No. --
Wide receiver
Date of birth: May 17, 1983 (1983-05-17) (age 25)
Place of birth: Belle Chasse, Louisiana
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
National Football League debut
2005 for the Cincinnati Bengals
Career history
College: West Virginia
NFL Draft: 2005 / Round: 3 / Pick: 83
Teams: Cincinnati Bengals (2005-2007)
Career highlights and awards
No notable achievements
Stats at NFL.com

Chris Henry (born May 17, 1983 in Belle Chasse, Louisiana) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia.

Due to a string of legal troubles during his professional career, the Bengals released Henry on April 3rd, 2008.

Contents 1 Early years 2 College career 2.1 Accomplishments 3 Professional career 3.1 Cincinnati Bengals 4 Legal troubles 5 Notes 6 External links

[edit] Early years

Born to Carolyn Lee and David Henry, Henry attended Belle Chasse High School in Louisiana where he was named New Orleans Small Schools Offensive Player of the Year during his senior year. During his senior season the Belle Chasse Fighting Cardinals made it to the Louisiana AAA State championship game, which was played at the Louisiana Superdome. Henry also excelled in basketball and track.

[edit] College career

Henry enrolled at West Virginia University in 2002, spending the season as a redshirt. In 2003 he earned Big East Conference Rookie of the Year and All-Big East second-team honors for catching 41 passes and gaining 1,006 yards and 10 touchdowns, becoming the second player in school history to record over 1,000 receiving yards in one season. Henry's best game was a career-high performance of 209 yards and two touchdowns against Syracuse. Also, his career-long reception came against Rutgers that season, an 83-yard reception. Henry's 1,006 yards was second most in a season in school history, behind David Saunders, and his 20.19 yards per reception are the third most in a season in school history.^[1]

In 2004 he started seven games and caught 52 passes for 872 yards with 12 touchdowns. However, Henry was kicked off the team following the season by head coach Rich Rodriguez. Henry's 12 touchdowns is tied for a school record with Darius Reynaud in a season,^[2] while his 52 receptions are the eighth most in a season.^[3]

Chris majored in athletic coaching.^[4]

[edit] Accomplishments

Henry is the third player in Mountaineers' history to average more than twenty yards per catch for his career.^[4] Henry's 1,878 career receiving yards is eighth most in school history,^[5] while his 93 receptions are the 14th most.^[6] His 22 touchdown receptions are also second most in school history.^[7] Henry's 6 career 100-yard receiving games is also tied for third most in school history.^[8]

[edit] Professional career

[edit] Cincinnati Bengals

Henry was drafted by the Bengals in the 2005 NFL Draft during the third round making him the 83rd overall draft pick and was one of thirty wide receivers picked during the draft.

Chris Henry made his NFL debut September 16, 2005 against the Minnesota Vikings.^[4] In his rookie season with the Bengals in 2005, he amassed 31 receptions for 422 yards and 6 touchdowns. In the Bengal's first playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had an early reception for 66 yards, but both Henry and Bengals' quarterback Carson Palmer were injured on that infamous play, the Bengals second from scrimmage. The Bengals lost 31-17.

In 2nd season, Henry totaled 605 yards on 36 receptions for 9 touchdowns, with a great average of 16.8 yards per catch. On the second game of the season against the Cleveland Browns, Henry recorded 5 receptions for 113 yards, while he recorded two touchdowns the next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Off-field issues ruined Henry's season though, as he was suspended/did not record stats in five games out of sixteen. In the season finale against the Steelers, Henry totaled 124 yards off of 4 receptions for a score in the loss.

Henry was forced to miss eight games due to misconduct in 2007 (see Legal troubles section below).^[9] He returned in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens, where he had four receptions for 99 yards. In the following loss to Arizona, Henry totaled 8 receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. Henry finished up the season with 21 receptions for 343 yards and two touchdowns.

Following his arrest in April 2008, Henry was waived by the Bengals. President Mike Brown explained that Henry had forfeited his opportunity to pursue a career with the Bengals and that his conduct could no longer be tolerated.^[10]

On April 7, 2008, ESPN radio analyst and former player Michael Irvin said he took a phone call from Henry, discussing "cleaning up his act", much like Irvin encouraged Pacman Jones to do.^[11] Henry and Jones were teammates at West Virginia. Both served NFL suspensions imposed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during the 2007 NFL season. See also, National Football League player conduct controversy.

Henry has said he wanted to play for either the New Orleans Saints or the Dallas Cowboys in 2008^{[citation needed]}.

Henry is currently beginning to train with the New Orleans Saints after joining their training camp, which started on May 26, 2008. No contract has been offered to the 25-year old, but he has has been asigned to the practice squad and will train with the team in the summer. There have also been alleged reports that Henry has agreed to sign a contract with New York Jets but this has not been fully confirmed. A New York Jets insider has claimed that Henry, if not given a contract by the Saints, will sign a pre-contract with the Jets which will run in January 2009^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Legal troubles

Since his college days at West Virginia University, Henry has had a checkered off-field career, coupled with several on-field incidents. During his redshirt sophomore season with the Mountaineers, he was ejected from a game at Rutgers due to multiple unsportmanlike conduct penalties and was suspended for the season finale at Pitt.

• December 15, 2005 - Chris Henry was pulled over in Northern Kentucky for speeding and marijuana was found in his shoes. He was also driving without a valid driver's license, and without auto insurance. On January 30, 2006, he was arrested in Orlando for multiple gun charges including concealment and aggravated assault with a firearm.^[12] He was reported to have been wearing his Number 15 Bengals jersey at the time of his arrest. Henry pleaded guilty in both cases and avoided jail time in both cases.

• May 4, 2006 - Cincinnati media reported that Henry is being investigated by Covington police in connection with a sex crime, which allegedly occurred in a hotel room in Covington, Kentucky early on April 30, 2006. No charges have yet been filed, and on May 24, 2006, Covington police reported that there is no proof anything happened and that the alleged victim might now face charges for filing a false police report.

• June 3, 2006 - Chris Henry was pulled over outside on Interstate 275 at 1:18 a.m by Ohio Highway Trooper Michael Shimko. At 2:06 a.m. Henry voluntarily submitted to a breathalyzer test at Milford Police Department and registered a .092 blood-alcohol level, .012 above the level permitted by Ohio law.^[13] These charges have since been dismissed as it was proven that the breathalyzer used to test Henry at the scene was faulty.^[14]

• September 25, 2006 in the early morning, Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman was pulled over for a DUI. The truck Thurman was driving belonged to rookie Reggie McNeal. Neither McNeal nor Chris Henry were charged with any wrongdoing by authorities, however, Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis benched Henry for the Bengals loss against the New England Patriots.

• October 6, 2006 - Henry was suspended by the NFL for two games for violating the league's personal conduct and substance abuse policies. NFL policies forbid Henry from taking part in practices, however, he was allowed to attend any team meetings. Henry missed the Bengals' October 15, 2006 game at Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their October 22, 2006 game against the Carolina Panthers.^[15]

• January 25, 2007 - Henry pleaded guilty to charges of providing alcohol to minors, an incident that occurred at a hotel in the spring on 2006. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with all but two of those days being suspended.^[16]

• April 10, 2007 - Henry was suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 NFL season for violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy.^[17] His suspension comes with a stern warning that future misconduct may result in the end of his career with the NFL. Henry has since been allowed to begin practicing fully with the Cincinnati Bengals by NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell.^[18] His suspension was lifted and he played in the November 11, game versus the Baltimore Ravens, amassing 4 catches for 99 yards.

• May 18, 2007 - Henry allegedly failed a court-mandated drug test, where a field tested resulted in a false positive for taking an opiate, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The failed drug test would have been the third violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy. A third violation, per league rules, results in a one-year suspension. In addition to having his suspension increased to 24 games, he would have had to serve an 88 day jail sentence.^[19] As of May 23, 2007, the State of Kentucky has reported that Henry in fact did NOT fail a drug test, and that earlier reports to the contrary are erroneous.

• June 12, 2007 - Henry allegedly assaulted a 16 year old boy with teammate Reggie McNeal. The claims were later reported to be unfounded^[20] and Henry and McNeal have been exonerated.

• November 6, 2007 - Henry allegedly assaulted a valet attendant at Newport on the Levee.^[21]

• December 3, 2007 - Henry arrested again in Orlando Florida for violating his probation he was on from a January 30, 2006 arrest in Orlando. On February 21, 2008 he was found not guilty of violation of probation. On February 26, 2008, a motion to terminate probation in Orange County Florida was denied.

• April 2, 2008 - Henry was charged with misdemeanor assault and property damage. Henry allegedly threw a bottle shattering the victim's car window and punched him in the face, however Henry said it was a case of mistaken identity. He claimed he thought it was somebody else that owed him money.^[22] Henry was waived by the Bengals a day after this arrest and was then forced to serve a house arrest sentence.

• June 2, 2008 - Chris Henry was involved in further legal inquests as it has come to light that the NFL have found out that Henry failed several drug tests in March 2007. The evidence of this came from a former Bengals medic. It has been revealed that the Bengals covered up the drug feud due to the fact they had a shortage of Wide recievers and couldnt afford to lose Henry. It was apparent that Henry failed two consecutive drugs tests on March 17th and March 26th 2007 he tested positive for Narcotic Angelesics (a pain relief steriod). The Bengals did not reported the drugs test and claimed that all there players on the active roster were clean. The Bengals have beened fined and will will lose there draft picks in the 2008 NFL draft. Henry has escaped any fines due to the fact he is now not active within the NFL, however Henry, if he signs for a new team, will be banned for the first 8 games of the season.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Player card on ESPN.com
• Profile on CBSSports.com