Aberdeen's Henderson Finds Spot In Terps' Lineup
8/30/2000 8:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 30, 2000
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Aberdeen's E.J. Henderson has forced the first significant change in the Maryland football starting lineup with a spectacular two-week preseason practice performance that has earned him a starting spot somewhere among the team's outstanding group of linebackers.
Henderson, a 6-foot-2, 229-pound redshirt sophomore, is starting right now at inside linebacker because junior Kevin Bishop is out with a pelvic disorder and lingering knee problems.
But Maryland coach Ron Vanderlinden said yesterday: "Even when Kevin comes back, we're going to have to move somebody to find a place for E.J. to play. He has just been making play after play every day.
"He's an old-fashioned type of linebacker. He has a nose for the ball, a nasty streak and just loves to hit. He had a tremendous hit [on fullback Matt Kalapinski] in our scrimmage."
Henderson began to assert himself midway through his redshirt freshman season during a practice session, when he got into a brief scuffle with a teammate at the end of a play.
Even though Henderson was admonished by the coaches for the fight, it was obvious they liked his aggression.
A few weeks later, when Bishop went down with a knee injury against N.C. State, Henderson was moved into the starting inside linebacker position for the final two games of the 1999 season.
He made 11 tackles against Florida State and had seven against Virginia.
However, Bishop was given his starting spot back this year in preseason camp when he returned from knee surgery and rehabilitation. Henderson was No. 2 at the start of camp.
"I think I've showed that I need to be on the field," said Henderson. "I deserve to start. I've been an aggressive player all my life and that has helped me reach this point.
"During the off-season, all my friends back home in Aberdeen kept asking me if I was going to start and now they have their answer. They're all going to be telling me things like 'I've seen you on TV.' "
When told that Maryland outside linebacker Aaron Thompson once said that he doesn't think that many people around Baltimore care that much about Terps football, Henderson said: "That is Baltimore City, that's a big place. You have to remember that I'm from little old Aberdeen where everybody knows everybody else."
Thompson played at Forest Park and Mount St. Joseph and lives in West Baltimore.
