Eric Henderson article in the AJC

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statelinejacket

Damn Good Rat
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Henderson article

There is a surprising remark from Henderson about Chan Gailey. But without being privy to all the particulars I say I have to fall on the side of Gailey in this. Henderson himself left much to be desired about his injury situation because of his unwillingness to either a)play through them or b)divulge to the fans what the real injury(s) was. It was maddening week after week to wonder whether Eric (or PJ Daniels) would suit up.

That is in the past though and I wish him the very best of luck in making the Cincinatti Bengals. It's ironic that he will be teamed with the one player he was compared with the most locally, David Pollack.
 
Gailey\'s...

comment seems perfectly logical to me. Any coach would say the same statement about the NFL Draft--it's just the truth. I don't think he was belitting EH in any form or fashion.
 
Havent had a chance to read the article yet, but you can't blame him for keeping his cards close when it came to the public at large. On the other hand he was always very open and honest with any of the students that knew him. I had a few close friends who knew him well in classes and always spoke well of him.
 
Re: Gailey\'s...

[ QUOTE ]
comment seems perfectly logical to me. Any coach would say the same statement about the NFL Draft--it's just the truth. I don't think he was belitting EH in any form or fashion.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, but I don't see that Henderson took it that way. He appears upset by it.....if the comments are accurate.
 
I wouldn't put much into this. I think Gailey was just making an overall comment about the NFL mindset and not taking a slap at Henderson. I don't think Henderson took it that way either.

There's a better article here on Henderson.

http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=5249

What I find interesting in this article is that they interview Henderson, they interview his old coaches, but they don't bother interviewing Gailey, Tenuta or anyone else. I'm not trying to make something out of nothing, but I find that very odd.
 
My guess would be that there was some huge praise for Henderson before or after that comment that would have given better context and a better story about Henderson if all had been printed.

Gailey wants nothing but the best for any of his players. Something was simply left out. I doubt Chan only had one or two sentences to say about a guy like Henderson. I'm sure Henderson is smart enough to figure that outr as well.
 
Could it be possible that Henderson went to Birmingham for a second opinion because the Tech medical was clearing him to play when he didn't think he could? Which could be why Gailey mentioned the 'red flags' and Henderson believes some people in the program got 'ticked' at him.

Somewhere there is a story behind the story....I'm not saying this is it, just that it is plausible.
 
It's just another in a long line of UGA journalists that writes a sensitive story and then gives the backhanded slap to Tech at the same time.
 
I think you guys are misinterpreting Gailey's comment. To me it sounds like he was asked about Henderson's draft possibilities right before the draft. His comment was that when players have missed alot of games, NFL teams see a red flag. I think he was just saying what he was hearing from teh scouts, not suggesting Henderson couldn't make it. As it turns out he was right. Henderson's comment seems to be a reaction to teams being concerned about injuries when he played through them. I wonder if he was even reacting to anything Gailey said (or knew Gailey had said anything) or to a question from the interviewer.

Also Henderson said some in the program were upset. He didn't say who. I would think the doctors would be the ones with an attitude...he was getting a second opinion on their diagnosis. OTOH it could have been anyone including Braine. There is probably a protocol for getting a second opinion when the school is paying for your care.
 
Neither one is upset at the other at all, and some are reading these comments which are taken completely out of context. Heck, I don't even think the writer meant for anyone to read anything in.

Gailey probably was asked "Why wasn't EH drafted". His response included (paraphrase) "When you are injured a lot a red flag goes up". True statement. I have hard Gailey say in other interviews on either side of this comment "But.....EH has overcome a lot...EH is quick...EH is nearly impossible to stop when healthy....EH deserves a shot".

So...the writer then says to EH...and the two may have even been together at the time..."CG said that the reason you may not have been drafter was the frequent injuries". EH does not say one word about Gailey being wrong...his comments actually acknowledge the perception and reflect that he believes the NFL scouts will be proved wrong.
 
Re: Different Read

Eric Henderson is a great story and I hope he makes the Cincinnati Bengals. But speaking soley for myself, I'll always have doubts about his injury situation. Thats because everything was always a mystery.....like how his junior year it was his thumb that had him missing the first three games.
 
Re: Different Read

If someone says they are hurt, who are you to say otherwise. I don't know of too many people who would take games off their senior year in college if they weren't injured, especially if they have a chance to hurt their draft stock as EH did.
 
Re: Different Read

JoeCakeEater: Often players fear trying to play through injuries will hurt their draft status by assuming it will hurt their performance.
 
No harm no foul

I have often wondered what happened to Eric Henderson those last two years. Did he think that he could coast home to the NFL and therefore not give it his best? Maybe, but given all of those other circumstances he had to deal with and overcome it would be easy to say that he was distracted, didn't condition well enough to avoid numerous injuries the last two years and didn't think that he still needed to prove himself on the playing field. Undoubtedly he has learned the lesson the hard way, but based on the articles, I think he has shown the character and determination to be successful.

As for the draft status, unfortunately its understandable given the concern over his durability. Gailey's comment was a simple statement of fact, not a dig. Only Eric H knows if he "dogged it" those last two years or was just plain unlucky. Either way, he's the one who will have to deal with the consequences and determine his success or failure. I only wish the best for him.
 
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