Henderson Quickly Finds a Home at Miami
Oct. 21, 2010
By Tim Reynolds
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — It’s a few minutes before sunrise, morning dew soaking the manicured grass of the Miami football complex, and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland is shouting words of encouragement as the biggest Hurricanes run through some drills.
When it was Seantrel Henderson’s turn, Stoutland stopped yelling — a rarity for the high-energy coach.
For a few seconds, he just watched in silence.
It’s easy to stand and marvel when seeing a 6-foot-8, 340-pound man-child hop over barriers with the agility of a ballerina, hits a blocking sled with such force that his imprint on the foam rubber padding is still there when the next guy comes through, and can pull two teammates off the ground at the same time.
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Henderson came to Miami with expectations as long as his copious shadow, and so far, he’s fulfilling them all. The nation’s No. 1 recruit a year ago is already a first-stringer on the right side of the Hurricanes’ line, played a full game in last weekend’s win over Duke, and is proving that he was worth every bit of the hype that has followed him for years.
“From Day 1, when he starting pushing everybody off the line, when he was moving guys back from the first day, he was showing that it was well-deserved,” Miami running back Damien Berry said. “He was ready, ready to come in, ready to play. The way he picks stuff up, his footwork, his speed, it’s kind of amazing.”
The book on Henderson from his teammates goes like this: He’s gregarious, a video-game savant, loud, funny and outgoing. The one subject he doesn’t apparently like discussing is himself. Henderson has routinely declined interview requests, which may be the only way he shakes extra attention — because opposing teams are starting to give him plenty of that.
When No. 25 Miami (4-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) hosts North Carolina (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday night, it’s certain that the Tar Heels will always know what No. 77 is doing.
“He’s big, he’s physical, he’s looks an awful lot like Bryant McKinnie when I was at Miami,” said Tar Heels coach Butch Davis. “He’s just a big, massive human being. … Obviously, he’s a good athlete because he was a former basketball player, so he’s got good feet. He’s playing very, very well for a freshman.”
The numbers prove what Davis is seeing.
Henderson has played 164 snaps this season, including 77 against Duke (with a season-high five pancake blocks), and has graded out at 83 percent or higher in every game — 90 percent twice.
Henderson took a long way from St. Paul, Minn. to Miami. He didn’t pick the Hurricanes originally, choosing USC first and shunning offers from just about every big-time program in the process.
The Trojans had Henderson until this summer, losing him after getting hit by NCAA sanctions. Henderson was released without transfer restrictions, meaning he could not only go anywhere that wanted him and wouldn’t have to sit out a season, either.
In the end, Henderson picked Miami.
“Coach Stoutland and Seantrel, they both take a lot of pride in what they’re doing,” Miami coach Randy Shannon said. “He’s really, really picked up the system faster than what most people do. Mentally and physically, Seantrel came here ready to get it done.”
Henderson’s listed weight seems like guesswork, really. Some estimates said he arrived on campus closer to 370 pounds. Others say he’s now about 330.
Regardless, he’s done everything the Hurricanes have asked from the outset.
“Recruiting’s recruiting,” Miami center Tyler Horn said. “You can have all the stars in the world and it doesn’t mean you’re going to be a good football player. It means you have the potential to be a good football player. I’ve always been told potential is a nine-letter word for bad. You’ve got to be able to go out there and prove how good you are.”
The Hurricanes didn’t make it easy on Henderson. Ever since Shannon took over in 2007, he’s preached that the locker room should be the most competitive place on earth. So he wanted other offensive linemen to fight for their jobs. He wanted defensive linemen to battle Henderson like he was a real opponent, not a teammate.
So Henderson got his first college test even before classes began. His grade: A-plus.
“He came out on the field and proved it. He came up in the film room and proved it,” Horn said. “He’s proved it in every aspect of the game. He didn’t come in here like, ‘Oh, I’m so-and-so, No. 1 recruit.’ He came in here like, ‘I want to earn y’all’s respect. I want to earn it the right way.’ And he’s done that. It’s been a great thing and I respect Seantrel a whole lot because of it. I’m really proud of him.”
