Hunter Henry (born December 7, 1994) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...
for the
New England Patriots of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football at
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
and was selected by the
San Diego Chargers in the second round of the
2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015 NFL Draft, 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park (Chicago), ...
. Henry was a member of the Chargers for five seasons before joining the Patriots in 2021.
Early years
Henry was born in
Little Rock, Arkansas
( The "Little Rock")
, government_type = Council-manager
, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_party = D
, leader_title2 = Council
, leader_name2 ...
on December 7, 1994 to Mark and Jenny Henry. In summer 2000, his family moved to the
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
area for his father's job. Henry moved back to Little Rock for his freshman year of high school where he attended
Pulaski Academy
Pulaski Academy (PA) is a private, independent college preparatory preschool, elementary, and junior/senior high school headed by Brock Dunn in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood of Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. PA was established in 197 ...
in Little Rock for four years. As a freshman, Henry spent time playing
offensive tackle,
wide receiver, and
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
for the
football team. He would not play
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...
during his high school career, due to the fact that
Pulaski Academy
Pulaski Academy (PA) is a private, independent college preparatory preschool, elementary, and junior/senior high school headed by Brock Dunn in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood of Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. PA was established in 197 ...
's
Spread Offense scheme did not feature the tight end position. Henry started his sophomore, junior, and senior year, winning a state championship with the Bruins in 2011.
Henry was named to the
Parade All-American team for the 2012-13 school year and was one of the top recruits in the nation.
College career
In 2015, Henry was involved in one of the most memorable plays in Arkansas football history. During a fourth-and-25 play in overtime against
Ole Miss in the
rivalry game, Henry caught a pass from
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Brandon Allen and upon seeing that he was going to be tackled short of the first down marker, Henry blindly flung the ball backwards as a
lateral
Lateral is a geometric term of location which may refer to:
Healthcare
*Lateral (anatomy), an anatomical direction
* Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle
* Lateral release (surgery), a surgical procedure on the side of a kneecap
Phonetics
*Lateral co ...
to running back
Alex Collins. Collins picked it up on the bounce and ran it for a 31-yard gain to gain a first down. This set up an eventual
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
and successful
two-point conversion
In gridiron football, a two-point conversion or two-point convert is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that just scored must run ...
to win the game. The uniqueness of the play led to widespread media coverage and replays. He was the
John Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end. Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, a ...
winner for best tight end in the nation and also was a
Consensus All-American in the 2015–2016 season. Henry helped Arkansas win back-to-back bowl games in consecutive years for the first time in program history, beating former
Southwest Conference
The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma ...
rival the
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
in the
2014 Texas Bowl
The 2014 Texas Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on December 29, 2014, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. It was one of the 2014–15 bowl games that concluded the 2014 FBS football season. The ninth edition of the Texas Bo ...
, and winning the
2016 Liberty Bowl over the
Kansas State Wildcats.
On January 4, 2016, Henry declared he would be entering the 2016 NFL Draft.
College statistics
Professional career
Pre-draft
In early 2016, Henry was predicted to be a late first- to second-round pick in the
2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015 NFL Draft, 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park (Chicago), ...
. Henry skipped most physical drills at the NFL Combine but did compete in bench press with a position worst of 13 reps. Henry managed to improve on his
pro day
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
by posting a 4.67 40 yard dash and completing 21 reps in the bench press establishing himself as one of the top tight ends in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Henry was drafted by the
San Diego Chargers in the second round (35th overall) of the
2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015 NFL Draft, 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park (Chicago), ...
. He was the first tight end to be selected in the 2016 NFL Draft. In addition, he was the first of five Arkansas Razorbacks to be selected that year.
San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers
2016 season
On June 2, 2016, Henry and the Chargers agreed to a four-year,
$6.38 million contract with $3.98 million guaranteed and a $2.84 million signing bonus.
Henry entered training camp competing to be the backup tight end, against veterans
Sean McGrath and
Asante Cleveland. Henry was named the San Diego Chargers' third tight end on their depth chart to begin the regular season, behind longtime Pro-bowl veteran
Antonio Gates and Sean McGrath.
In his NFL debut against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The ...
, Henry made one reception for 20 yards in the season-opening overtime loss. The following week, he earned his first NFL start during a victory over the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
. During a Week 4 loss to the
Saints, he caught four passes for 61 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown on a 20-yard pass from quarterback
Philip Rivers
Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was se ...
. On October 13, 2016, Henry led all Chargers in receptions, making six catches for 83 yards and a touchdown in a 21–13 victory over the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
. On December 18, he caught three passes for 37 receiving yards and a touchdown during a 19–16 loss to the
Oakland Raiders. Henry has the distinction of catching the final touchdown of the Chargers' history in San Diego scoring a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the 37-27 loss to Kansas City in the season finale.
In his rookie season, Henry scored the second-most touchdowns by a rookie tight end in the last decade (only behind
Rob Gronkowski
Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played h ...
), and scored the fifth-most touchdowns by a rookie tight end in NFL history.
2017 season
During Week 15 against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The ...
, Henry left the game with a knee injury. The next day, it was revealed that he suffered a lacerated kidney and was placed on injured reserve on December 19, 2017. He finished the season with 45 receptions for 579 yards and four touchdowns.
2018 season
On May 22, 2018, Henry suffered a torn ACL during OTAs, and was ruled out for the entire season. On September 1, 2018, he was placed on the
physically unable to perform
Physically unable to perform (PUP) is a roster designation used in the National Football League (NFL) for players who suffered injuries during football-related activities prior to the start of training camp. Players on the PUP list may participate ...
list, giving Henry a chance to return later in the season. He was added to the active roster on January 7, 2019, ahead of their
Divisional Round game, which they lost to the eventual
Super Bowl LIII champion
New England Patriots.
2019 season
On September 11, 2019, it was announced that Henry suffered a tibia plateau fracture to his left knee and would be out several weeks. Henry made his return from injury in Week 6 against the
Pittsburgh Steelers. In that game, Henry caught eight passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns in the 24-17 loss. Overall, Henry finished the 2019 season with 55 receptions for 652 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.
2020 season
The Chargers placed the
franchise tag
In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has on ...
on Henry on March 13, 2020. He signed the tag on April 16. He was placed on the reserve/
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
list by the team on December 24, 2020, and activated on January 7, 2021.
New England Patriots
2021 season
On March 19, 2021, Henry signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the
New England Patriots. He scored his first touchdown for the Patriots in Week 4 during
a 17–19 home loss to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
. Over the first 10 games, Henry caught seven touchdown passes, establishing himself as a frequent
red zone target for rookie quarterback
Mac Jones
Michael McCorkle "Mac" Jones (born September 5, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he set the NCAA season records for passer ...
.
2022 season
Henry returned as the Patriots starting tight end in 2022. He finished the season with 41 catches for 509 yards and two touchdowns.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Henry's parents are Mark Henry and Jenny Henry, and they live in Little Rock. His father was an offensive lineman for the Arkansas Razorbacks from
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
–
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
. He
lettered
Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
four years for the Razorbacks. Henry has three siblings; Hayden, Hudson and Hope. Hayden was a linebacker at Arkanasas from 2017-2022. Hudson is a redshirt junior tight end also at the University of Arkansas.
Henry married Parker Elizabeth Schmidly of
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
on June 30, 2018. Hunter and Parker have one son John Ace Henry, who was born December 9, 2021.
Henry is a
Christian. He has said, “I would say my faith is the most important thing to me. My dad is a pastor in Little Rock. I’ve grown up in a Christian background my whole life. My faith is the most important thing to me; that’s the one message that I want to convey to everybody.”
References
External links
Los Angeles Chargers bioArkansas Razorbacks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Hunter
1994 births
Living people
All-American college football players
American football tight ends
Arkansas Razorbacks football players
Los Angeles Chargers players
New England Patriots players
Players of American football from Arkansas
San Diego Chargers players
Sportspeople from Little Rock, Arkansas
Ed Block Courage Award recipients