Chris Henry dead at 26
- Thursday, December 17, 2009 12:46 PM
- Written By: Garrett Sabelhaus
Just an awful story evolving over the last day when Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry died after injuries sustained from falling out of a pickup truck stemming from an apparent domestic dispute.
I don't cover the Bengals but as a fan, I really liked the man they called "Slim". Obviously he had some off the field issues but he was really looking like he wanted to change and that he had changed.
The man he once was got caught up in the spotlight. Being famous. Having a lot of money. Thinking he had to act like a thug. The kind of guy that once said to a valet attendant,"Do you know who I am?" after a dispute.
But he was different now. A man growing up right before our eyes. A guy that, after given a second chance by owner Mike Brown, finally got it. It was almost as if he realized that the fantasy world he was living in would come to an end one day.
He didn't know it would come to an end in a North Carolina hospital while he was fighting for his life.
He was 26 years old.
Chad Johnson fighting back tears when asked about Henry this morning.
"Chris was a really good friend of mine. I just talked to Chris Tuesday night. He called me to see how i was doing, I told him i was good. we talked before every game. He'd just say handle your business. I don't know what else to say you know. He was doin' everything right. My grandma always says you never question the man upstairs 'cuz he never makes mistakes. I don't know how Chris was supposed to go yet."
Again, this is completely a fans perspective but I think it is a good representation of how people around Cincy think about Slim.
The guy has three kids too who have just lost their dad. It's just an awful story and I feel terrible for everyone involved. We'll see how the Bengals honor their teammate Sunday when the Bengals travel to San Diego with the AFC North Championship on the line.
