Chris Henry Jr. is part of the No. 1 Ohio State team preparing to play No. 4 Texas on the road this week, but his family background has drawn attention too. Henry is the son of Chris Henry, the former Cincinnati Bengals receiver whose life and career took a tragic turn before his death in December 2009.
One of the most notable parts of that family story is the role Adam "Pacman" Jones played after Henry died. Jones, who was a former NFL teammate of Chris Henry, became the legal guardian of Henry's two sons. That connection adds another layer to the profile of Henry Jr., an Ohio State true freshman receiver who could see reps in the matchup against Texas.
Why the Chris Henry story still matters
Chris Henry's NFL career showed early promise. A fifth-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, he played in 14 games for the Cincinnati Bengals as a rookie and finished his career with 31 receptions for 422 yards and six touchdowns. He later had a 2009 season in which he caught 12 passes, and his 16.8 yards per catch reflected the big-play ability that made him an intriguing receiver when he was on the field.
His career was also marked by repeated off-field problems. He was arrested in December 2005, January 2006, June 2006 and again in September 2006, then was suspended eight games at the beginning of the 2007 season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. In June 2008, he was suspended indefinitely after his fifth arrest in over three years. The Bengals brought him back ahead of the 2009 season, but his life ended later that year when he died after falling from the bed of a moving truck driven by Loleini Tonga.
In 2010, West Virginia's Brain Injury Research Institute released a report saying Chris Henry had chronic traumatic encephalopathy throughout his career. That finding placed his story into a broader conversation around CTE and the long-term toll football can take.
What it means for Chris Henry Jr.
For Henry Jr., the football part of the story is still just beginning. He is a true freshman at Ohio State, and his situation has already become part of the discussion around the Buckeyes' receiver rotation. Jerquaden Guilford has already shed his black stripe — and that is bad news for everyone chasing Chris Henry Jr's Ohio State snaps —
But the family context matters too. Henry Jr. was raised by his mother, Loleini, and the guardianship connection to Jones helps explain the support system around him after his father's death. As Ohio State prepares for Texas, Henry Jr. is not only a young receiver trying to earn playing time. He is also carrying a family story that still resonates more than a decade after his father's death.
