Road to Redemption Cut Short

As most were tucked away in their warm beds Thursday morning, another NFL football player was lost at approximately 6:36 a.m. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry died from injuries sustained in an incident that authorities have labeled a domestic dispute between Henry and his fiancé, Loleini Tonga, Dec. 16th.

Reports indicate that Henry and Tonga were involved in a heated argument at their home in Charlotte, N.C. before Tonga attempted to leave the premises in Henry's pickup truck. It is unclear how or why Henry ended up in the bed of the pickup truck but multiple 911 calls were made by onlookers, claiming that Henry was banging on the glass window of the truck before eventually falling out. When paramedics arrived at the scene, Henry was unconcious and foaming at the mouth. Coroners have yet to release the cause of death.

The news comes at a time when Bengals fans, players and coaches, and various members of the NFL community were rooting for Chris Henry, as he attempted to rid himself of his troubled past and focus strictly on emerging as the once formidable offensive force he had shown flashes of becoming.

Bryan Robinson, a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals had this to say about Henry's on field play, "Henry was always a deep ball threat. It seemed like every time he touched the ball, he made a play for his team. It showed the team's depth at the wide receiver position, that they could bring him off the bench."

In the 8 games in which Henry played in, prior to this season-ending broken left arm injury against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 8, Henry had 12 receptions for a total of 236 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an average of 19.7 yards per catch.

Unfortunately it appears as if Henry's on-field accomplishments will forever be overshadowed by his off-field antics. In his relatively short collegiate and professional careers, Henry was arrested five times, suspended from a collegiate game while playing at West Virginia, suspended for half of the 2007 NFL season, and eventually released by the Bengals before being reinstated by Bengals president Mike Brown shortly after.

Carson Palmer, starting quarterback for the Bengals had this to say about this his teammate prior to the start of the 2009 season, "He ran into some trouble, made some bad decisions, and realized that. He's sorry for them, apologized for them, and has done everything he can to make himself a better person. I'm just proud of him."

It is my hope that up and coming athletes, no matter the sport, will take from this situation the importance of being a professional at all times. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and the entire Bengals organization.

On that note, I say so long to all my readers and I hope you all have a safe and beautiful holiday season. Until next time folks!

Photo courtesy of www.bengals.com