Chris Henry

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Henry's journey began in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, where he excelled at Belle Chasse High School as the New Orleans small schools offensive player of the year. His high school team reached the Louisiana AAA State championship game at the Louisiana Superdome during his senior season. Henry also shined in basketball and track before enrolling at West Virginia University in 2002. After a redshirt year, he became a star in 2003, earning Big East Conference freshman of the year honors after catching 41 passes for 1,006 yards and 10 touchdowns. He became only the second player in school history to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. His career-long reception was an 83-yard catch against Rutgers that same year, and he recorded a career-high 209 yards with two touchdowns against Syracuse.

In Their Own Story

Henry's NFL debut occurred on September 18, 2005, against the Minnesota Vikings. In his rookie season, he caught 31 passes for 422 yards and six touchdowns. A defining moment came in the Bengals' first playoff game in fifteen years against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he secured a 66-yard reception on the second play from scrimmage; however, both he and quarterback Carson Palmer suffered knee injuries on that specific play. His second season saw him tally 605 yards on 36 receptions with nine touchdowns. He recorded five receptions for 113 yards against the Cleveland Browns and scored two touchdowns in a game against Pittsburgh. Despite his talent, off-field issues plagued his career. In December 2007, he was suspended for eight games in 2008 after violating the NFL's personal conduct policy following an arrest where he punched Gregory Meyer and threw a beer bottle through a car window. He returned to play in 2008 but was placed on injured reserve in November 2009 with a broken forearm.

Reader's Guide

For fans, understanding Henry requires looking at his statistical legacy alongside his legal struggles. At West Virginia, he finished as the third player in school history to average over twenty yards per catch for a career. His 1,878 career receiving yards rank eighth in school history, while his 93 receptions are 14th most. He holds the second-most touchdown receptions (22) and is tied for third with six career 100-yard receiving games. His professional path was volatile: he faced a two-game suspension in 2006 for substance abuse and personal conduct violations, missing games against Tampa Bay and Carolina. In April 2008, the Bengals waived him after his arrest, though they re-signed him less than a month later during preseason injuries to other receivers. He served a four-game suspension that season before finishing with 19 receptions for 220 yards. His life ended abruptly on December 17, 2009, when he fell from a moving truck driven by his fiancée, Loleini Tonga, during a domestic dispute.

Did You Know?

• Henry was the first active NFL player to be definitively diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after his death, as CTE can only be confirmed via autopsy.
• He recorded a career-high 209 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a single game against Syracuse during his college career.
• During the 2005 Gator Bowl loss to Florida State, Henry caught three passes before announcing he would enter the NFL draft.
• Henry was suspended for the entire season finale of his sophomore year at West Virginia after being ejected from a game at Rutgers for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• No alcohol was found in Henry's blood at the time of the incident that led to his death on December 16, 2009.