by Jonathan Storti
Just days after the death of their teammate Chris Henry, the Cincinnati Bengals lost to the San Diego Chargers 27-24 on a last second field goal. Henry had been the #2 wide out for the Bengals earlier this year until a broken arm sidelined the rest of his season. Henry died on December 17 from injuries sustained while falling from a moving truck. Henry had a troubled past, with drug and off-field issues. Many of his teammates stated Henry had turned around his life by making better decisions. The accident seems to have stemmed from a domestic situation, with Henry’s fiancé. On the field Henry often played out of the slot and was able to stretch the field for the Bengals. He also took pressure off the Bengals #1 wideout Chad Ochocinco and eventually became a key cog in the offense. Henry’s impact was immediate, as his solid play in his rookie year helped return the Bengals to the playoffs after a significant absence. Around the league a moment of silence was given to remember Henry at every NFL game. One of his teammates tried to honor Henry even further.
Chad Ochocinco, a fellow Bengals wide receiver and close friend of Henry, stated that he was going to wear Henry’s #15 for Sunday’s game. This action would have been fined, and eventually Chad decided to wear his rightful number. Ochocinco eventually was allowed to honor his friend after hauling in a 1st half touchdown pass. Immediately upon scoring Chad dropped to his knees and looked skyward, believing his friend to be watching today’s game from high above. The cameras panned to Chad on the sideline right after the touchdown and zoomed in on an emotionally drained individual tearing at the eyes. The Bengals played with heavy hearts on Sunday and almost pulled out a victory for their fallen brother. The difficulty of trying to play a game so soon after losing a teammate has happened far too often in today’s game. It was only a year ago that Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins was killed in his home. Also last year, Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was killed in a drive by shooting. The death of Henry and other young talented football players is quite unsettling. These players not only had the rest of the playing careers taken away, but the rest of their lives. Football players seem invincible on the field, only to be mortal off it.
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