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Chris Henry (wide receiver)

Updated: 12/20/2025, 3:06:57 PM Wikipedia source

Christopher Henry (May 17, 1983 – December 17, 2009) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and was selected by the Bengals in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft. Henry died on December 17, 2009, when he fell out the back of a moving truck after having a domestic dispute with his fiancée. An autopsy revealed that Henry had developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) during his playing career due to repetitive hits to the head. Because CTE can only be definitively diagnosed in an autopsy and Henry was still active in the NFL when he died, Henry represented the first case where an active player had died and could be diagnosed with CTE.

Infobox

Position
Wide receiver
Born
(1983-05-17)May 17, 1983Belle Chasse, Louisiana, U.S.
Died
December 17, 2009(2009-12-17) (aged 26)Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Height
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight
200 lb (91 kg)
High school
Belle Chasse (LA)
College
West Virginia (2002–2004)
NFL draft
2005: 3rd round, 83rd overall pick
Receptions
119
Receiving yards
1,826
Receiving touchdowns
20

Tables

Pre-draft measurables · Professional career
6 ft 4 in(1.93 m)
6 ft 4 in(1.93 m)
Height
6 ft 4 in(1.93 m)
Weight
197 lb(89 kg)
40-yard dash
4.50 s
10-yard split
1.64 s
20-yard split
2.68 s
Vertical jump
36.0 in(0.91 m)
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day
Height
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day
Height
Weight
40-yard dash
10-yard split
20-yard split
Vertical jump
6 ft 4 in(1.93 m)
197 lb(89 kg)
4.50 s
1.64 s
2.68 s
36.0 in(0.91 m)
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day

References

  1. "Researchers find brain trauma in Henry"
    https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=5333971
  2. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/sports/football/29henry.html
  3. syracuse.com
    http://blog.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2009/12/henry_rocked_the_carrier_dome.html
  4. WVU Career Yards Per Reception Archived November 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
    http://www.wvustats.com/football/recs_player.php?team_id=308&code=pcypr
  5. USA TODAY
    https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2005draft/Henry,Chris-WR-West%20Virginia.htm
  6. "West Virginia's Henry to enter NFL draft"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20121008011718/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/6776233/site/21683474/
  7. The Huffington Post
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/16/chris-henry-car-accident_n_394930.html
  8. Profile on Bengals.com Archived October 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Cincinnati Bengals
    http://www.bengals.com/team/player.asp?player_id=63
  9. WVU Career Receiving Yards Archived November 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
    http://www.wvustats.com/football/recs_player.php?team_id=308&code=pcrcy
  10. WVU Career Receptions Archived November 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
    http://www.wvustats.com/football/recs_player.php?team_id=308&code=pcrcc
  11. WVU Career Touchdown Receptions Archived November 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
    http://www.wvustats.com/football/recs_player.php?team_id=308&code=pcctd
  12. WVU Career 100-Yard Receiving Games Archived November 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
    http://www.wvustats.com/football/recs_player.php?team_id=308&code=re100
  13. draftscout.com
    http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=9667&DraftYear=2005
  14. nflcombineresults.com
    https://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?i=7140
  15. Pro-Football-Reference.com
    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2005/draft.htm
  16. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/sports/football/18henry.html
  17. Goodell suspends Pacman, Henry for multiple arrests
    https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2832015
  18. Bengals release Henry
    http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6709
  19. Chris Henry Thinks Michael Irvin Can Help Salvage His Career – FanHouse – AOL Sports Blog Archived July 8, 2008, at the
    http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/04/07/chris-henry-thinks-michael-irvin-can-help-salvage-his-career/
  20. news.cincinnati.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20120927065147/http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=blog09&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3Ac78cbe8a-2b47-436d-a33e-62
  21. "Lewis says suspended Henry not headed back to the Bengals"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20190822003437/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d80971598/article/lewis-says-suspended-henry-not-headed-back-to-the-bengals
  22. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/sports/football/29henry.html
  23. ESPN
    https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2470257
  24. www.wcpo.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20061109203139/http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/01/30/henry.html
  25. USA Today
    https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2007-01-25-notebook_x.htm
  26. USA Today
    https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2006-06-15-notebook_x.htm
  27. WR Henry arrested on DUI charge Archived June 28, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. The Cincinnati Enquirer
    http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2006/06/wr-henry-arrested-on-dui-charge.asp
  28. "NFL suspends Henry for 2 games"
    https://www.espn.com/nfl/story?id=2615583&src=desktop&rand=ref~%7B%22ref%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F%22%7D
  29. "Henry practices with team"
    http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20071025/SPT02/710250325/
  30. "Bengals' Henry Threatened Valet Attendant, Police Say"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20080704151136/http://www.wlwt.com/news/14533956/detail.html
  31. "Chris Henry Released From Jail"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090719115043/http://www.local12.com/content/breaking_news/story/Chris-Henry-Released-From-Jail/-lMnchJSSUeO21VOXz0Wew.cspx
  32. NBC Sports
    https://web.archive.org/web/20121007113446/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/34462843/ns/sports-player_news/
  33. Chris Henry Dead: Killed In Truck Incident, Domestic Dispute
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/17/chris-henry-dead-car-acci_n_394985.html
  34. The Charlotte Observer
    https://web.archive.org/web/20100206123925/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/topstories/story/1128580.html
  35. ESPN.com
    https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=4755765
  36. Loleini Tonga, Chris Henry's Fiancee, Will NOT Be Charged In His Death
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/06/loleini-tonga-chris-henry_n_413600.html
  37. WCPO
    https://web.archive.org/web/20170929232358/http://www.wcpo.com/sports/football/bengals/no-alcohol-found-in-henry-s-system-after-his-death
  38. "Bengals coach: Henry 'beacon of hope' before death - CNN.com"
    http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/16/bengals.henry/index.html
  39. Video on YouTube
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVqGdcL60C4
  40. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/20/sports/football/cte-study-concussions-brain-tackle.html
  41. Chris Henry data sound football alarm, ESPN. com, Johnette Howard, June 29, 2010.
    https://www.espn.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=hoiward/100629
  42. Concussion Legacy Foundation
    https://web.archive.org/web/20230702123543/https://concussionfoundation.org/cte-resources/subconcussive-impacts
  43. Los Angeles Times
    http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-donor-20101125,0,3089522.story
  44. Sports Illustrated
    https://www.si.com/college/2022/06/07/ohio-state-offers-son-chris-henry-recruitment
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