E. J. Henderson

Eric N. "E. J." Henderson (born August 3, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for nine seasons with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins, twice earning consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the Vikings in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft.[1]

E. J. Henderson
refer to caption
E.J. Henderson at Vikings training camp, 2011
No. 56
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1980-08-03) August 3, 1980
Fort Campbell, Kentucky, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school:Aberdeen (Aberdeen, Maryland)
College:Maryland
NFL Draft:2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 40
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:752
Sacks:15.5
Forced fumbles:12
Fumble recoveries:9
Interceptions:5
Defensive touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years

Henderson was born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.[2] He attended Aberdeen High School in Aberdeen, Maryland, where he played high school football for the Aberdeen Eagles.

College career

Henderson accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Maryland, where he played for the Maryland Terrapins football team from 1999 to 2002. He holds three NCAA records: career total tackles per game (12.5), season unassisted tackles with 135 in 2002, and career unassisted tackles per game (8.8).[3] He was recognized twice as a first-team ACC selection (2001, 2002), twice as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2001, 2002), and twice as a consensus first-team All-American (2000, 2001).[4] As a junior in 2001, he was honored as the ACC Player of the Year. As a senior in 2002, he was the recipient of the Chuck Bednarik Award and Butkus Award, recognizing him as the best college defensive player and best college linebacker, respectively, in America. He was also selected as the defensive most valuable player in the Terrapins' 30–3 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2002 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Professional career

Minnesota Vikings

On December 15, 2006, Henderson agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Vikings. The deal was reportedly worth over $25 million with $10 million guaranteed.

In April 2008, the Vikings signed Henderson's younger brother, Erin, as an undrafted free agent out of Maryland.

Henderson was placed on season-ending injured reserve after he dislocated multiple toes on October 6, 2008 in a game against the Tennessee Titans.

In Week 13 of the 2009 season, Henderson suffered a broken left femur during a game against the Arizona Cardinals. The injury occurred when his leg twisted violently as he was trying to tackle Tim Hightower and hit Jamarca Sanford's helmet. He was removed from the field on a motorized cart, accompanied by his younger brother and teammate Erin. Henderson stayed overnight in Phoenix for surgery, and missed the rest of the season.[5][6] He made a full recovery in time for 2010 training camp.[7] After what was described as a "remarkable recovery", Henderson was selected for the 2011 Pro Bowl.[8]

Career statistics

Source:[9]

  Defense
SeasonTeamGPTOTSOLOASTPDSACKFFINT
2003Min163227500.010
2004Min1493652831.010
2005Min1575532211.010
2006Min16110773323.012
2007Min16118942444.530
2008Min42723401.010
2009Min1283632012.000
2010Min16105713441.013
2011Min16107782932.030
Total 1257495501991815.5125

Personal life

He is the older brother of fellow former Vikings linebacker Erin Henderson, who also played college football of the Maryland Terrapins.

References
  1. "2003 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  2. E.J. Henderson NFL Football Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com
  3. 2008 Division I Football Records Book Archived 2008-10-29 at the Wayback Machine, NCAA. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  4. 2011 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, p. 11 (2011). Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  5. Koster, Kyle (December 6, 2009). "Vikings LB E.J. Henderson suffers brutal leg injury". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 8 December 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  6. "Henderson suffers broken leg". Sky Sports. December 7, 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  7. "Henderson: 'My leg is 100 percent'". FOX Sports North. 2010-08-20. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  8. "Vikes' E.J. Henderson joins NFC squad". ESPN.com. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  9. "E.J. Henderson Stats, News and Video - MLB". NFL.com.
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