LINCOLN — Will Henry’s first four years at Nebraska can be summed up with three words.
Watch and learn.
The senior receiver has done plenty of both and is hoping to turn all of that time into production in his final season as a Husker.
“It’s my senior year,” said Henry, who sat as a redshirt his first season at Nebraska. “I’m a vet. I know all the plays and stuff, so now I’m just trying to go out there and perform, work hard and whatever role the coaches see me in, I’m just going to go out there and perform that.”
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Henry came to Lincoln from El Paso, Texas, in 2006. To this point, he has primarily seen the field on special teams. His lone catch in three seasons went for 1 yard in a blowout against Louisiana-Lafayette last season.
While that might not seem like much to give him hope heading into 2010, Henry said he’s confident that the work he’s done will finally pay off.
“I know I’ve only accumulated one catch for 1 yard in the whole three seasons I’ve played,” said Henry, who was interviewed before NU shut down media access to players and coaches on Wednesday. “But for me, it doesn’t really matter. If you want to keep looking at the past, that can really throw you off. I just want to keep going forward.”
If Henry needed a blueprint for senior-year success, he got it last season from ex-teammate Chris Brooks. Now in NFL camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brooks was the poster boy for biding his time and taking advantage of an opportunity late in his college career.
After not playing much of a role in his first four years in Lincoln (Brooks had three catches for 31 yards), he played a stellar supporting role in 2009, finishing with 14 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown. Only three receivers racked up more yards and found the end zone last season.
“I really respect the way he worked,” Henry said. “Everyone saw how it was for him. He didn’t really play that much in the previous seasons, then all of a sudden his senior year he had a really good year. And everyone sees where he’s at now.”
Brooks was the Bucs’ leading receiver in their preseason opener, catching three passes for 50 yards, including a 31-yard reception.
Brooks sent Henry a text message before preseason practice wishing him luck. The message was well-received.
“I really appreciate stories like that,” Henry said. “With my faith, I really realize as you keep working hard, good things will come.”
Contact the writer:
850-0781, nickrubek@hotmail.com
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