Part of an ESPN Insider Blog entry.
Fourteen months ago, I sat next to Chris Henry at a table. This was before the Bengals drafted him in the third round, before his latest string of arrests.At this point, the biggest question mark regarding Henry was whether or not the receiver could keep cool during games. He was suspending twice during his final year at West Virginia. This is what he said to me as if I were a GM, with full eye contact the entire time:
"I'm not who you think I am. I know what you've seen on the field, what you've seen on television, but you don't know me. Off the field, I'm to myself a lot. I'm humble. I'm quiet. Give me a chance to show you the real side of Chris Henry.
"I've actually replayed how this interview would go in my head. And I just keep thinking, I've gotta be a good person. I gotta know how to act. I know I'm labeled as a bad guy. I won't let you down. I don't know if you're buying what I'm telling you."
Did I buy what he was telling me? Not sure. I wanted to believe him. I looked at him as a kid with an attitude problem, not someone who would go on some sort of self-destructive binge. He was a hothead.