Charlotte police have confirmed that Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry died Thursday morning at 6:26 A.M.
Henry suffered injuries after he “came out” the back of a pickup truck following a domestic situation. Henry was found roughly half a mile from the house where the dispute is believed to have started.
Henry was 26 years old.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is expected to speak to the media at 11 A.M. ET.
On Wednesday night, while the Bengals were praying for Henry’s health, they reflected on his path.
“He’s a big part of what we are,” guard Andrew Whitworth said to the team’s website. “I really admire how he carries himself, how he’s changed his life, and how he’s made his career his passion. That’s what this team has done. He’s one of the guys that has helped give this team that attitude. We’re worried about him and praying for him.”
The Bengals sent their director of security Rusty Guy to Charlotte to assist the Henry family. Guy was known as a big supporter of Henry and a reason the Bengals kept him in the franchise.
“A lot of teams would have just thrown him away,” former teammate Willie Anderson said Wednesday night. “You can say a lot about the Bengals, positive and negative. But you have to commend what Mike Brown and the Bengals did for this kid. They believed in him and it turned out that’s what he needed.”
Henry was scheduled to be married in March. He spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer about his family and the changes in his life in a video interview in September.
Mike Brown said over the summer that one reason he agreed to tape Hard Knocks on HBO was to showcase players like Henry.
“Chris Henry is a good example. If you knew him only by hearsay you would think he is some kind of ogre,” Brown said.. “It’s not true. He’s a good person. When you see him up close, you’ll find that you’ll like him. He’ll be soft spoken and a pleasant person. People who understand him to be different (will) now know better.”
Throughout all his off-field troubles, Henry’s teammates often said similar things. That he appeared to settled his life down makes Thursday’s news all the more tragic.
We send the entire Henry family and the Bengals our condolences.