Friday, December 30, 2005

Cowboys' Henry keeping the faithInjured cornerback tries to block out critics and play against Rams

Cowboys' Henry keeping the faithInjured cornerback tries to block out critics and play against Rams
01:58 AM CST on Friday, December 30, 2005
By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News

TIDBIT: IRVING – A simple silver cross dangles from the necklace around Anthony Henry's thick neck. The symbol of his faith is a source of strength in this time of adversity. Henry, one of the Cowboys' best players in the first half of the season, has been hampered by a nagging groin strain and a mysterious abdominal strain that has forced him to miss three of the last seven games. He hears the critics who question his pain tolerance and toughness, but don't know about the two times he took shots to deaden the area, so he could play. They don't understand how much he loves the game. Or how much he wants to help the Cowboys beat St. Louis on Sunday. They don't know how badly he wants to make the playoffs after missing the postseason his last three seasons in Cleveland. "I'm trying to stay focused on God right now. That's the most important thing," Henry said just before going to an afternoon meeting. "It's been a little frustrating, but I'm trying to keep my mind off of it. I just want to keep everything in perspective." That's not easy to do on a Bill Parcells team, where the pressure to play through injuries is intense and players without broken bones or torn ligaments are often said to have only, "bumps and bruises," though the training room is full of players receiving treatment. Four weeks ago, Parcells said he wasn't even talking to Henry because he was frustrated by how long it was taking Henry to recover from the groin injury.