Profile: Linebacker E.J. Henderson
9/10/2002 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 10, 2002
By Mike Gerton
Athletic Media Relations
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - In an era where loud mouths, cocky personas and brash attitudes often come hand in hand with the game's top performers, Maryland linebacker E.J. Henderson doesn't quite fit the bill. A humble, soft-spoken individual, the 6'2", 250-pound senior chooses to do his talking on the field.
One of the nation's premier defensive players, Henderson has been singled out by many as the best linebacker in college football. His unique ability to control a game from the line of scrimmage as well as through the air leaves pro scouts drooling and opposing offensive coordinators in tears. Last season Henderson recorded a school record 28 tackles for a loss while contributing to the team's Atlantic Coast Conference-leading 24 interceptions.
Known for superb field vision and a knack for making big plays around the ball, Henderson anchored a defense that caused 34 turnovers in 2001, the most by any Terp squad in the past 15 seasons. Henderson also played a large part in Maryland's effort to clamp down on opponents' rushing games, holding foes under 100 yards on the ground five times last season.
Last season's breakout campaign was topped off by numerous post-season awards and honors for Henderson. A consensus first team All-American and Butkus Award finalist last year, Henderson is most proud of his ACC Player of the Year trophy. Only the fourth Terp ever to earn the prestigious honor, Henderson truly recognizes the value and significance of the award. "Out of all the players in the conference, they named me the best one," says Henderson. "It's the highlight of my life, football wise."
Henderson also became the first Maryland player to be named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year since the inception of the honorific in 1993.
While many scouts compare the Aberdeen, Md. native's uptempo, bone-crunching style of play to that of Baltimore Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis, Henderson contends that his game is more influenced by a former college teammate.
As a redshirt freshman in 1998, Henderson studied inside linebacker Eric Barton's every move in games and practice. "I always used to watch Eric Barton all the time on the field," says Henderson. "How he used to run around and just kill guys. That's how I try to play."
A senior leader and the team's most valuable player, Barton recognized that Henderson had the talent, work ethic and intelligence to become a special player. Currently entering his fourth professional season with the Oakland Raiders, Barton taught Henderson about the position, and the game as a whole. Soon, Henderson will join his former mentor in the NFL and attempt to show that the student has now become a master.
Following the conclusion of the 2001 season, Henderson was forced to tackle a new and different type of foe, undergoing corrective surgery on his back that sidelined him for all of spring camp. "It was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life," Henderson says of his first major surgery.
Faced with a daunting recovery process, Henderson was initially unsure about the prospect of making a full return. "I had a lot of doubts and a lot of fear that I wouldn't be able to come back at the level I was," admits Henderson. "I had a lot of doubt if I could even come back at all."
Much of Henderson's summer was spent in the weight room completing a rigorous rehabilitation program under the guidance of team trainers and coaches. With his sights set on a full return by the season opener against Notre Dame, a typical day for the recovering star generally consisted of multiple running and lifting sessions followed by a strict icing and stretching routine.
Another difficult aspect of the recovery process for Henderson was sitting out spring practice. "It was hard. It was the first time I ever had to sit out for anything for an extended amount of time," says Henderson. "It was tough watching the guys out there."
Confined to roaming the sidelines while his teammates took part in drills and workouts, Henderson considers the whole ordeal a major learning experience. "You'll be at practice and say 'I hate this, I wish I wasn't here' but you never know how much you miss it until you're not there," Henderson says.
A physical force and football phenom, Henderson's drive and motivation are not laid to rest when he takes off the pads. Last May, with considerations of walking away from his last year of collegiate eligibility to pursue the NFL Draft still fresh, Henderson took another significant walk - down the red carpet aisle at Cole Field House. Along with teammates Todd Wike and Matt Crawford, Henderson received his college diploma this past spring, graduating with a bachelor's degree in criminology and criminal justice.
Henderson will again be the backbone of a defensive unit that returns only five starters. While the loss of such veteran leadership and experience will not be easy to overcome, Henderson plans to utilize the youth movement as a tool. With specific goals in mind to teach, shape and mentor the new wave of players, Henderson hopes to ease the transition process for the team's budding talent.
In much the same way that Barton helped guide and mold a raw and uncultivated Henderson, the senior linebacker aspires to be a positive role model to the Terps' crop of newcomers. Helping to prepare those inexperienced and untested players for battle is part of a "senior experience" that Henderson speaks so highly of. It is in this way that Henderson will pass on the knowledge and experience he has gained in five years on the gridiron at College Park and do his part to continue the new winning tradition at Maryland.
