Rashad Henry is a senior running back buried behind talented youngsters Da’Rel Scott, Davin Meggett and Morgan Green, but he cherishes the opportunity to play Division I football nonetheless. A transfer from Bowie State, Henry has devoted himself to practicing hard, enjoying football, and providing a steadying presence for the team’s younger players. Henry sat down with us for this week’s edition of Meet the Team.
Terrapin Trail: First off, what was the team’s reaction when you guys heard that the latest AP poll had you ranked 25th in the country?
Rashad Henry: We were excited, but at the same time we still have four games to go. We just gotta take it one game at a time.
TT: As a senior, you naturally assume a leadership role on the team. But because you haven’t seen the field this year, do you embrace that role or do you leave it to the guys who log a lot of snaps on Saturdays?
RH: No, I embrace it. I’ve been here for three years. We still have guys who are freshman and have never been in college, so my leadership goes far beyond just the field. It’s off the field, just life in general. There’s things I’ve been through that the freshman guys have never been through. So I try to shine some light on some things they have questions about – school, life, and football.
TT: You transferred from Bowie State, a school where you probably would have played a lot if you’d stayed for four years. What made you decide to tranfer to the Terps, where playing time is harder to come by?
RH: Everyone likes a challenge. Bowie was great, but at the same time I looked a little beyong that. I look at the degree, at the chance to make something out of myself. I’m not saying that Bowie was nothing, but I wanted to aim a little higher. Everybody wants to play Div. I football. I didn’t want to go through my life wondering, “what if?”
TT: I read that you like to play the saxaphone. How did that start?
RH: It’s an old hobby. I did that for, man, nine, ten years, back in the day. That was basically it. High school, and I just lost it after that.
TT: So you couldn’t still rip a tune on the sax?
RH: Oh no, I could. Oh yeah.
TT: You got any favorite tunes from ‘back in the day?‘
RH: Kenny G, for real for real. And I always liked the little sopranino sax, just the sound of it.
Bloggers,
Good job covering sports, but I think you guys are missing a vital piece of the athletic puzzle. Maryland recently received a verbal from Scout #6 CB Travis Hawkins from Quince Orchard HS. Aside from the implications that Fridge can fend off other coaches looking to pluck talent in state (e.g. Penn State), the verbal may change the direction of our team. With Jelani Jenkins, the #2 WILL linebacker from Our Lady Good Counsel HS also considering Maryland, big things may be happening for the Class of 2009.
As Terrapin fans continue to demand competitiveness in the parity filled ACC, we forget about the importance of recruiting the right players to fit our system. When Maryland receives verbal commitments from big “gets” and when they sign Letters of Intent, the Diamondback blogging staff should cover these developments.
Josh, you are asking a lot of a blogging site that is struggling to post one blog per day. May I suggest checking “Tracking the Terps” of The Baltimore Sun. The Sun has finally got its Terps coverage figured out since Heather Dinich left them for ESPN. They have seemed to be pretty up to date on all the major happenings internally and externally with MD athletics.
Good for Henry to take on a leadership rule despite being a transfer. Thats a sign of a good team with even better chemistry.