Chris Henry: From Bad Boy To Good Man

Chris Henry's story is as inspirational as any you'll hear in the NFL.

But this wasn't a rags-to-riches story ala Michael "Blind Side" Oher. This wasn't a comeback from a severe illness ala David Garrard.

Henry's was the story of personal growth; how a bad boy turned into a good man.

The Cincinatti Enquirer ran a story on a changed man just two months ago, with the headline "What A Difference A Year Makes". Henry had turned his life around dramatically. Once considered a locker room toxin for his off-field antics, Henry had rejuvenated his career and his life.

Carson Palmer said of Henry, "There's a lot of speculation on what kind of guy Chris was, but the only guys who knew Chris and knew how big of a heart he had, were the guys in our locker room, the guys that were close to him and his family."

A 3rd-round selection out of West Virginia, Henry had all the tools to be a success in the NFL. At 6'4" with blazing speed, Palmer had handily dubbed Henry "Randy Moss, Jr."

Henry caught on very quickly in the NFL. He played in 14 games his rookie season, reeling in 31 receptions for 422 yards and tallying six touchdowns.

The off-field troubles started shortly after the 2005 season, as he was arrested for possession of marijuana and shortly thereafter was arrested on gun charges.

Despite being benched and suspended for his illegal indulgences, he improved on all of those numbers in only 13 games the next season, taking 36 receptions for 605 yards and nine touchdowns.

Just like his vertical leap, the sky seemed the limit for his potential.

After two more legal run-ins, he served an eight-game suspension in 2007 for his off-field issues.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis issued a statement following the commissioner's ruling: "While we regret the circumstances that called for it, it's good for both Chris and the Bengals to have the matter resolved. Our team will move forward and now it is up to Chris to acquire a more mature understanding of his responsibilities as a player for the Bengals and a representative of the NFL."

Those are hardly the words you want to hear coming from your head coach after you've seriously screwed up.

Still, he came back with a bang in week 10, reeling in four receptions for 99 yards against division-rival Baltimore.

He was still able to post respectable and consistent numbers despite his suspension-shortened season.

After the season though, Henry was hit with an assault charge and was arrested for a fifth time. Beyond frustrated, the Bengals cut him in March 2008.

The talent was always there, his head just wasn't.

He would be given a second (third?, fourth?) chance to get it right, when the Bengals re-signed him in August 2008.

Henry took being cut in stride. He turned a corner and not just from unemployed to employed; this was a landmark of his life.

Many who spoke with and were close to Henry, regard that he was a changed man since being re-signed in 2008. He realized the mistakes of his past had left him with one last chance. Those who supported him always wanted to see him succeed.

He floundered in the 2008 season, only tallying 19 catches and two touchdowns in 12 games.

The answer to his turn-around seemed simple; with all of the issues off the field, he just had to spend more time on the field. And so, to the delight of Lewis and all of his teammates, Henry showed up to every off-season practice and OTA in 2009.

He reeled in a touchdown in all four pre-season games prior to the 2009 season and was being heralded as a break-out candidate. Now, in addition to making strides as a person, he was making strides as a top-flight receiver in the NFL.

After overcoming all these seemingly insurmountable odds, it seemed the path was finally clear for Henry to become just that.

Then, on November 22, he broke his forearm in a game against Baltimore. The Bengals put Henry on season-ending injured reserve.

"I learned to handle all situations, so I'll be all right."

This statement was very much a symbol of the man Henry had become;mentally tough and optimistic.

Bengals owner Mike Brown spoke on Henry's death Thursday morning in a news conference: "He had worked through troubles in his life and had finally, seemingly, reached the point where everything was going to blossom.

"He was going to have the future that we all wanted for him and he wanted for himself."

Although Chris Henry had only just begun turning his life around, we can be certain that his soul is at rest.

That he truly changed as a man was the key cog in the future that everyone wanted him to have.