Henry is 'the MVP so far'
A liberal dose
September 29, 2007
IRVING -- Cowboys cornerback Anthony Henry would rather bury himself in his corner locker and play with his cellphone than look into the cameras.
Henry is a quiet, soft-spoken veteran who is reluctant to welcome star attention. He carries humility and a strong faith in God onto the field every Sunday. After every interception, he points to the sky, thanking God.
'It's not important whether the attention be on me or not,' said Henry, in his seventh season. 'That's never been me.'
After three games, Henry's play has been attention-grabbing and on a Pro Bowl level. He can't duck his current star treatment, not when cameras and reporters are shoulder-to-shoulder, hovering over his locker. He has been the best playmaker on Wade Phillips' defense with a league-leading four interceptions, including two apiece in consecutive games.
'He's been the MVP so far,' Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said.
Henry, who was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week, has come back healthy this season and has been at the epicenter of the Cowboys' defensive turnaround the past two weeks.
He will be challenged again Sunday against the St. Louis Rams receivers.
'When the ball is in the air, he went to go get it,' Cowboys free safety Ken Hamlin said. 'You can't always coach that. We expect that from him. Hopefully, he can keep going with it.'
Henry helped put Bears quarterback Rex Grossman on the bench this week with two interceptions, including one he returned 28 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Henry has been playing off the receivers, giving him a chance to jump routes and track the quarterback's eyes.
'Finally, I am playing the way I am accustomed to or the way I wanted to coming here from Cleveland,' said Henry, who had five interceptions combined the past two seasons.
Think back to 2005. This was the kind of play Henry was producing the first eight games. Then a groin injury against Arizona derailed his debut season with the Cowboys. He was on pace for a Pro Bowl and validation for his $10 million signing bonus.
Last year was just as difficult. He fought a nagging knee problem that produced a noticeable limp.
'It was frustrating, but I realized as much as I wanted to be out on the field, it still wasn't good for me to go out there unprepared and not playing at the best of my ability,' Henry said. 'There were times I was out there and I wasn't 100 percent.'
Henry is healthy and allowing his instincts and smarts to go to work. They helped him produce just the second multiple-interception effort in back-to-back games in Cowboys history. The other was by Everson Walls in 1981.
Henry, who had 10 interceptions as a rookie with Cleveland, could threaten Walls' franchise record of 11 in 1981, Walls' rookie season.
'If you run the same route and the same formation, he is going to make you pay,' Phillips said.
In the off-season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team was considering moving Henry to safety. That was before Phillips arrived. The team signed Ken Hamlin, and Henry stayed in place.
But moving to safety would not have bothered Henry, who expects to move there later in his career and started at the position his first three years at South Florida.
'One day, I look forward to it,' Henry said.
Meanwhile, being a quiet, playmaking cornerback is working out just fine.
ONLINE: dallascowboys.com
Picked apart
Cornerback Anthony Henry has a league-leading four interceptions after three games. His season high is 10, set as a rookie in 2001 while with Cleveland. The Cowboys' single-season interception leaders:
11 Everson Walls 1981 10 Mel Renfro 1969 9 Everson Walls 1985
September 29, 2007
IRVING -- Cowboys cornerback Anthony Henry would rather bury himself in his corner locker and play with his cellphone than look into the cameras.
Henry is a quiet, soft-spoken veteran who is reluctant to welcome star attention. He carries humility and a strong faith in God onto the field every Sunday. After every interception, he points to the sky, thanking God.
'It's not important whether the attention be on me or not,' said Henry, in his seventh season. 'That's never been me.'
After three games, Henry's play has been attention-grabbing and on a Pro Bowl level. He can't duck his current star treatment, not when cameras and reporters are shoulder-to-shoulder, hovering over his locker. He has been the best playmaker on Wade Phillips' defense with a league-leading four interceptions, including two apiece in consecutive games.
'He's been the MVP so far,' Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said.
Henry, who was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week, has come back healthy this season and has been at the epicenter of the Cowboys' defensive turnaround the past two weeks.
He will be challenged again Sunday against the St. Louis Rams receivers.
'When the ball is in the air, he went to go get it,' Cowboys free safety Ken Hamlin said. 'You can't always coach that. We expect that from him. Hopefully, he can keep going with it.'
Henry helped put Bears quarterback Rex Grossman on the bench this week with two interceptions, including one he returned 28 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Henry has been playing off the receivers, giving him a chance to jump routes and track the quarterback's eyes.
'Finally, I am playing the way I am accustomed to or the way I wanted to coming here from Cleveland,' said Henry, who had five interceptions combined the past two seasons.
Think back to 2005. This was the kind of play Henry was producing the first eight games. Then a groin injury against Arizona derailed his debut season with the Cowboys. He was on pace for a Pro Bowl and validation for his $10 million signing bonus.
Last year was just as difficult. He fought a nagging knee problem that produced a noticeable limp.
'It was frustrating, but I realized as much as I wanted to be out on the field, it still wasn't good for me to go out there unprepared and not playing at the best of my ability,' Henry said. 'There were times I was out there and I wasn't 100 percent.'
Henry is healthy and allowing his instincts and smarts to go to work. They helped him produce just the second multiple-interception effort in back-to-back games in Cowboys history. The other was by Everson Walls in 1981.
Henry, who had 10 interceptions as a rookie with Cleveland, could threaten Walls' franchise record of 11 in 1981, Walls' rookie season.
'If you run the same route and the same formation, he is going to make you pay,' Phillips said.
In the off-season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team was considering moving Henry to safety. That was before Phillips arrived. The team signed Ken Hamlin, and Henry stayed in place.
But moving to safety would not have bothered Henry, who expects to move there later in his career and started at the position his first three years at South Florida.
'One day, I look forward to it,' Henry said.
Meanwhile, being a quiet, playmaking cornerback is working out just fine.
ONLINE: dallascowboys.com
Picked apart
Cornerback Anthony Henry has a league-leading four interceptions after three games. His season high is 10, set as a rookie in 2001 while with Cleveland. The Cowboys' single-season interception leaders:
11 Everson Walls 1981 10 Mel Renfro 1969 9 Everson Walls 1985
posted by The Gryphon at 10:16 AM
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