cinci1fan1 Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [quote name='oldschooler' date='17 December 2009 - 02:08 PM' timestamp='1261073303' post='844076'] [url=""] [/url] Tearful Chad Ochocinco talks about Chris Henry's Death [url="http://www.wlwt.com/video/21992736/index.html"]http://www.wlwt.com/video/21992736/index.html[/url] [/quote] Watching that video choked me up and tears r flowing down and i am at work. I am just not able to get my mind out of this and especially after looking at this chad video Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' date='17 December 2009 - 03:35 PM' timestamp='1261078507' post='844124'] football aside, i have a whole new respect to all of you at Steelernation. thank you for your support as this a very sad thing to go through. [/quote] x2 a good number of you[quote name='NFLDiva' date='17 December 2009 - 03:35 PM' timestamp='1261078556' post='844125'] Thanks, not many people outside of our area feel that way. LOL But we do understand your pain, look back on our history and you'll see..we've been there. I know the Bengals are going to rally after this tragedy and I'd love nothing more than to see you all in Miami. (Across the field from my Saints of course LOL) [/quote] N.O. lost one of their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NFLDiva Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [quote name='Jamie_B' date='17 December 2009 - 02:45 PM' timestamp='1261079142' post='844130']N.O. lost one of their own.[/quote] Yes we did. His tremendous talent will never be forgotten. We mourn alongside you today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [quote name='NFLDiva' date='17 December 2009 - 03:50 PM' timestamp='1261079430' post='844133'] Yes we did. His tremendous talent will never be forgotten. We mourn alongside you today. [/quote] Thanks. I too have always liked the Saints. And cheers to all the Steeler fans who have come to give there condolences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PutWittyNameHere Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [quote name='Dan_Bengals_FL' date='17 December 2009 - 02:34 PM' timestamp='1261074845' post='844093'] For me, football will never be the same. One of my favorite athletes of all time. When I watched him play, it still made me feel like a kid inside. A part of that fan-side of me, died with him. My thoughts and positive wishes are with him and his family. He will be missed. [/quote] I think I'd actually go the other direction on this. So often, we dismiss football and sports in general as simply being irrelevant entertainment. But I think Henry is a sobering reminder of how sports, especially one that is as team-oriented as football, can be more than that; and how that sport can be the crutch that a person like Henry may have been missing all of his life. I've often read comments on here about how Henry had turned himself around. I have to ask myself, "would that turnaround have been possible without football?". I don't see how it could have been. At the very least, it wouldn't have been nearly as likely without the support that the other players and the Brown family had offered him throughout the past two years. I think sports can teach people some incredibly valuable life lessons, and I get the impression that Henry was a prime example of that. It's for that reason that situations such as this one, however tragic they may be, draw me closer to sports. It's because they are relevant, and because they can be more than just entertainment when viewed from the right perspective. Henry's family has my prayers, and the entire Bengal organization has my support. Now that the Steelers are basically eliminated from contention, I'll be openly rooting for the Bengals the rest of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalsNYC Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Just in case anyone was curious..........Here is the link to the graphic the Bengals will wear on their helmets on Sunday. [url="http://img70.yfrog.com/img70/6861/51jp.jpg"]15[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengals1181 Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Goodell did a chat on nfl.com today: [quote] Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL.com Hello everyone. [b] Before we get started, I want to say we are greatly saddened by today’s tragic news about the loss of Chris Henry. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chris’s family, including his Bengals family. We have been in contact with the Bengals to offer our support through this difficult time.[/b] In light of this tragedy, it’s difficult to focus on football right, but we scheduled this chat and we will carry on. It’s been a great season so far and there is still a lot more football to be played, including the playoffs, the most wonderful time of the year, some would say. There are 24 teams still in contention for the Super Bowl and for the first time in NFL history we have two 13-0 teams. Congrats to the Colts and Saints. We appreciate all of your interest in and passion for the NFL. [b]I ask you to keep Chris Henry and his family in your thoughts today, and now I’ll take as many of your questions as I can. I’m looking forwards to learning what’s on your minds.[/b] [/quote] http://chat.nfl.com/front/archived_chat/646 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randle P McMurphy Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 R.I.P. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Videos from the guys in the locker room are up. http://www.bengals.com/multimedia/video-channel-in-the-locker-room.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCARFACE_BENGAL Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 R.i.p. slim.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [quote name='akiliMVP' date='17 December 2009 - 03:36 PM' timestamp='1261078594' post='844126'] I can guarantee you that if Chad scores a TD at home against KC next week, his celebration will be a tribute to Henry. Can you imagine how insane the crowd would go if he stuck a 1 over top of the 8 so it read 15 and pointed to the sky? I'm getting chills thinking about it. I hadn't planned on going to the KC game but now I think I will. [/quote] Why wait for the KC game? I think he'd do it this Sunday...assuming he scores. In my mind it plays out with him receiving a 15-yd penalty...and then the Chargers declining the penalty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschooler Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [url="http://twitter.com/ctrent"][b][color="#0a0501"]ctrent[/color][/b][/url] [url=""] [/url] [url="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23Bengals"][color="#0a0501"]#Bengals[/color][/url] say they've been told by the NFL that @[url="http://twitter.com/OGOchocinco"][color="#0a0501"]OGOchocinco[/color][/url] may NOT wear No. 15 for Sunday's game [url="http://twitter.com/ctrent/status/6773317995"]about 1 hour ago [/url]from [url="http://www.seesmic.com/"]Seesmic[/url] WTF? I see absolutely NO reason why they wouldn't let Chad wear #15 this Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|OneHeartBeat| Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 I've felt like throwing up all day and my eyes have been full of tears. You grow up following a football team and it's like they become a part of your family. We love you Chris and everyone that puts on a bengals uniform. I know without a shadow of a doubt you'll be on the field with your team each and every Sunday. This is hard to even type. This really, really, really sucks, espescially this time of year. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who have lost someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [quote name='oldschooler' date='17 December 2009 - 05:36 PM' timestamp='1261085817' post='844165'] [url="http://twitter.com/ctrent"][b][color="#0a0501"]ctrent[/color][/b][/url] [url=""] [/url] [url="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23Bengals"][color="#0a0501"]#Bengals[/color][/url] say they've been told by the NFL that @[url="http://twitter.com/OGOchocinco"][color="#0a0501"]OGOchocinco[/color][/url] may NOT wear No. 15 for Sunday's game [url="http://twitter.com/ctrent/status/6773317995"]about 1 hour ago [/url]from [url="http://www.seesmic.com/"]Seesmic[/url] WTF? I see absolutely NO reason why they wouldn't let Chad wear #15 this Sunday. [/quote] I think its a fine chad would be more than happy to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschooler Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Chris Henry's last interview . . .[img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif[/img] [b][size="5"]Bengals miss Henry; Henry misses Bengals[/size][/b] By Carlos "Big C" Holmes | Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 05:35 PM [b]Editor's Note[/b]: [i]The following story was written hours after Chris Henry's last interview. Henry talked to the DDN's Carlos Holmes on Tuesday night. Henry died Thursday morning.[/i] If you ask any Monday morning quarterback what the problem is with Cincinnati 's struggling passing game you likely would hear the name [b]Chris Henry[/b]. Critics believe that the Bengals' problems on offense began when the team lost its deep-threat receiver. Henry suffered a season-ending forearm injury in the game against Baltimore in Week 9. The Bengals are ranked 23rd overall in passing yards and seem to take a dip in the rankings each week. The offense had its lowest output of the season passing against Minnesota . Quarterback [b]Carson Palmer[/b] completed 15 out of 25 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Needless to say, Minnesota beat up on the Bengals, 30-10. Head coach [b]Marvin Lewis[/b] gave his assessment of the team's passing game at his Monday news conference. "We've got to do a better job of executing," Lewis said. "We have to protect. We have to be in the right spots at the right depths and give the opportunity to the quarterback. And I think we've got to go back and do a better job of manufacturing some balls down the field." There's another reason for the sputtering passing game. No Henry! Bengal opponents had to respect, if not fear, Henry. Teams would game plan for him because he's a receiving threat. Now it seems oh so easy for opposing defenses to put the kibosh on the passing game. With Henry out of the lineup, it leaves [b]Chad Ochocinco[/b] as the only consistent downfield threat, which means he'll draw a lot of double- and triple-teams in coverage. Henry gave the team a viable option before going down with the injury. He averaged 19.7 yards per catch and was a go-to-guy for Palmer in clutch situations. The Bengals have had 63 possessions and scored only five touchdowns during Henry's absence. [b]So what has Oh Henry been up to these days?[/b] "Man, I've been trying to get a bunch of my wedding stuff taken care of since my injury," Henry said during a phone conversation on Tuesday, Dec. 15. "I've been back and fourth between Cincinnati and North Carolina getting ready for the big day." Henry is set to marry his Polynesian Beyonce and mother of his three children in March 2010. [b]What does he think of the offense and will he be back next season?[/b] "I hate sitting back watching my team struggle," Henry said. "It won't be easy, but I know they'll figure out a way to turn things around. The team is pretty much in the playoffs and I know they're going to do their thing once they get there. I only wish that I could be out there with them helping them as much as I can, but I won't be back out there until next year." [b]Maybe, maybe not?[/b] Henry is in the final year of this contact with the Bengals and at the end of the season will become either a restricted free agent (RFA) if uncapped or an unrestricted free agent (UFA) if the Collective Bargaining Agreement is extended. "I wish for something to happen so I can remain in Cincinnati and play for the Bengals," Henry said. "I don't want to go anywhere else, to tell you the truth. I love being a Bengal and love (Carson) Palmer. What he can do for me and what I could do for him is unlimited. "I like the system that I'm playing in and will continue to work hard to be that No. 2 guy. I really want to show Cincinnati what I'm all about as a receiver. Hopefully, I'll get that opportunity." As far as the injury, Henry's broken left forearm is in a full cast right now and will be in a smaller version next week. The diagnosis for recovery is 10 weeks and rehab will begin immediately thereafter. [url="http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/12/16/bengals_miss_henry_henry_misse.html"]http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/12/16/bengals_miss_henry_henry_misse.html[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalUprising9 Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 God got a great wide receiver to play on his team up stairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeBengal Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Terrible Terrible news. I pray for his children, family and friends. I remember going to the 06 June mini-camp (open house practice) at PBS. He and gotten into some trouble recently but still signed autographs eventhough the media was totally on him and the Bengals. He signed my daughters football and she was thrilled. It put a huge smile on my daughters face. Thank you Chris and may you rest in Peace...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschooler Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [b][size="5"]Bengals resolve will be tested again[/size][/b] By [url="http://cnati.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=1&id=4"]Scott Priestle[/url], CNATI.com Posted December 17, 2009 12:11 PM ET As Bengals players endured a teary-eyed practice Thursday morning, the equipment staff began packing for the upcoming trip to San Diego. When players returned quietly to the locker room, they had to step over 53 duffel bags. It was a reminder that while the tone and tempo of their work have changed in the wake of Chris Henry's death, the schedule has not. [img]http://cnati.com/chadvert.jpg[/img] Chad Ochocinco wore Chris Henry's No. 15 in practice on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009. Henry passed away earlier in the day.So even as they tackle the emotional trauma of losing a friend, they must prepare for a game Sunday that will have a significant impact on their postseason dreams. Just as the defensive players did two months ago following the sudden death of Vikki Zimmer, wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. Just as the Samoan players did 2 ½ months ago following the tsunami that wrecked their homeland and cut off communication with family members on the island. "It's been a tough year for us," said defensive tackle Domata Peko, who has family in American Samoa, works daily with Zimmer and was one of Henry's best friends on the team. "But in these tough times, through these storms, I think your team really gets knit together. I can feel it now, we're coming together." Bengals players have spoken since training camp about sensing an improved camaraderie and renewed toughness this season. Those attributes have been tested in ways they could not have envisioned. Henry, the oft-troubled but well-liked wide receiver, died early Thursday morning from injuries suffered Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C., near the home of his fiance's family. Henry reportedly fell from the bed of a moving truck after he and his fiancé were involved in a domestic dispute. Bengals players were informed during their morning meetings Thursday that Henry was on life support. After the meetings, and shortly before they took the field for a walkthrough practice, quarterback Carson Palmer gathered players in the locker room and told them Henry had died. It cast a pall over the walkthrough, which is normally a low-stress, high-energy portion of the week. "People were crying. It was tough being out there," receiver Andre Caldwell said. For all of Henry's problems off the field, he was popular within the Bengals locker room. Players and coaches believed his issues stemmed from being too easily influenced by the wrong people, and they were confident that he had turned his life around in recent months by turning away from those people. He spent much of his time with his fiancé, Loleini Tonga, and their children. Bengals players were stunned and saddened by Henry's death, and the wounds will still be fresh when they board a plane Friday for San Diego. They will play the Chargers on Sunday in a game that could decide the No.2 seed and a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. "As a professional you have a job to do, and that's just what we have to rely upon," coach Marvin Lewis said. "We have to rely on the strength of each other and collectively as a football team." Peko and other players said they will dedicate the remainder of the season to the memories of Henry and Vikki Zimmer. "One thing about Chris, he's a great competitor," Peko said. "He would want us to go out and win, not be sad." The Bengals traveled to Baltimore two days after Vikki Zimmer's death and beat the Ravens the next day. They attended her funeral on Tuesday of the following week, on what would normally be the players' day off. Coincidentally or not, the defense then played its worst game of the season in a 28-17 loss to Houston. Caldwell experienced a similar tragedy while at the University of Florida. Two years ago, freshman defensive back Michael Guilford was killed in a motorcycle crash during the season. "It's something you never want to go through," Caldwell said. "But when you do, you've just got to ... take what you can learn from it and put it in your life. He's gone, but he's not forgotten. "We're pros, we're men, and we'll be ready. We have to put that inside and let it motivate us to do better." [url="http://cnati.com/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-resolve-will-be-tested-again-00919/"]http://cnati.com/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-resolve-will-be-tested-again-00919/[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccartman2 Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [quote name='oldschooler' date='17 December 2009 - 05:40 PM' timestamp='1261086017' post='844169'] Chris Henry's last interview . . .[img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif[/img] [b][size="5"]Bengals miss Henry; Henry misses Bengals[/size][/b] By Carlos "Big C" Holmes | Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 05:35 PM [b]Editor's Note[/b]: [i]The following story was written hours after Chris Henry's last interview. Henry talked to the DDN's Carlos Holmes on Tuesday night. Henry died Thursday morning.[/i] If you ask any Monday morning quarterback what the problem is with Cincinnati 's struggling passing game you likely would hear the name [b]Chris Henry[/b]. Critics believe that the Bengals' problems on offense began when the team lost its deep-threat receiver. Henry suffered a season-ending forearm injury in the game against Baltimore in Week 9. The Bengals are ranked 23rd overall in passing yards and seem to take a dip in the rankings each week. The offense had its lowest output of the season passing against Minnesota . Quarterback [b]Carson Palmer[/b] completed 15 out of 25 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Needless to say, Minnesota beat up on the Bengals, 30-10. Head coach [b]Marvin Lewis[/b] gave his assessment of the team's passing game at his Monday news conference. "We've got to do a better job of executing," Lewis said. "We have to protect. We have to be in the right spots at the right depths and give the opportunity to the quarterback. And I think we've got to go back and do a better job of manufacturing some balls down the field." There's another reason for the sputtering passing game. No Henry! Bengal opponents had to respect, if not fear, Henry. Teams would game plan for him because he's a receiving threat. Now it seems oh so easy for opposing defenses to put the kibosh on the passing game. With Henry out of the lineup, it leaves [b]Chad Ochocinco[/b] as the only consistent downfield threat, which means he'll draw a lot of double- and triple-teams in coverage. Henry gave the team a viable option before going down with the injury. He averaged 19.7 yards per catch and was a go-to-guy for Palmer in clutch situations. The Bengals have had 63 possessions and scored only five touchdowns during Henry's absence. [b]So what has Oh Henry been up to these days?[/b] "Man, I've been trying to get a bunch of my wedding stuff taken care of since my injury," Henry said during a phone conversation on Tuesday, Dec. 15. "I've been back and fourth between Cincinnati and North Carolina getting ready for the big day." Henry is set to marry his Polynesian Beyonce and mother of his three children in March 2010. [b]What does he think of the offense and will he be back next season?[/b] "I hate sitting back watching my team struggle," Henry said. "It won't be easy, but I know they'll figure out a way to turn things around. The team is pretty much in the playoffs and I know they're going to do their thing once they get there. I only wish that I could be out there with them helping them as much as I can, but I won't be back out there until next year." [b]Maybe, maybe not?[/b] Henry is in the final year of this contact with the Bengals and at the end of the season will become either a restricted free agent (RFA) if uncapped or an unrestricted free agent (UFA) if the Collective Bargaining Agreement is extended. "I wish for something to happen so I can remain in Cincinnati and play for the Bengals," Henry said. "I don't want to go anywhere else, to tell you the truth. I love being a Bengal and love (Carson) Palmer. What he can do for me and what I could do for him is unlimited. "I like the system that I'm playing in and will continue to work hard to be that No. 2 guy. I really want to show Cincinnati what I'm all about as a receiver. Hopefully, I'll get that opportunity." As far as the injury, Henry's broken left forearm is in a full cast right now and will be in a smaller version next week. The diagnosis for recovery is 10 weeks and rehab will begin immediately thereafter. [url="http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/12/16/bengals_miss_henry_henry_misse.html"]http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/12/16/bengals_miss_henry_henry_misse.html[/url] [/quote] Wow. The real shitty thing is they had to IR him. 10 Week recovery would have had him back in Action by the divisional playoff game. If he would have still been on the 53 man roster, would he have been in NC yesterday? doesn't matter anyway...Just sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 TJ has some comments on Cowherds show - http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4750615 (scroll down) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschooler Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [b]Shock, Sorrow Over Chris Henry's Death[/b] "[b]Chris was[/b] a guy that I believe and our team believes was heavily misunderstood. There was a lot of speculation about who he was, but the only guys that knew Chris and knew how good of a heart he had, how kind he was, how gentle he was, how soft of a heart he had, were the guys in our locker room, the guys who were close to him, his family." [i]-- Bengals QB Carson Palmer[/i] "[b]We are[/b] greatly saddened by today's tragic news about the loss of Chris Henry. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chris' family, including his Bengals family. I ask you to keep Chris Henry and his family in your thoughts today." [i]-- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell[/i] "[b]He was[/b] doing everything right, he was doing everything right. My grandma always says you never question the man upstairs on decisions he makes. Everyone makes mistakes, but I don't see how Chris was supposed to go already, especially when he was on the right path. Other than that, he's going to be missed." [i]-- Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco[/i] "[b]We knew[/b] him in a way that [was not consistent] with his public persona. We liked him. He had worked through troubles in his life ... to a point where he was going to have the future we all wanted for him and that he wanted for himself. At the time of his tragedy he was running to daylight." [i]-- Bengals president Mike Brown[/i] "[b]We had[/b] seen Chris expand this year as both a person and on the field. He had grown and matured. We extend our deepest condolences and prayers to Chris' family and to everyone else who held him dear." [i]-- Bengals coach Marvin Lewis[/i] "[b]For those[/b] who knew Chris, he was nothing like his public perception. A loving and caring individual, he was thankful for what he had in life, and proud of what he had overcome." [i]-- Andy Simms, Henry's agent[/i] "[b]I just[/b] pray for his mom and his family and for Loleini's family also. Only they know what really happened. All I know is we lost Chris." [i]-- Bengals DL Domata Peko, one of Henry's closest friends on team[/i] "[b]He really[/b] didn't have much of a chance to show [his talent]. He was such a talent. Carson [Palmer] likes to call him 'The next Randy Moss.' That's what he called him. [i]-- Ryan Fitzpatrick, former Bengals QB[/i] "[b]He came[/b] by just before training camp and we had a long talk. It really seemed he was headed in a new direction. I told him he had to do better. We talked about making sure he was hanging around the right people and was aware of the situation around him. It seemed like he was making a diligent effort to do well." [i]-- Belle Chasse (La.) High School coach Bob Becnel, Henry's prep coach[/i] "[b]I enjoyed[/b] our time together at West Virginia and we shared a lot of great moments. I have many fond memories of our three years together and will remember those forever." [i]-- Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez[/i] "[b]The entire[/b] Mountaineer football family is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Chris Henry. We say 'Once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer,' and Chris was a big part of our success during his time here. For me, he was a real joy to be around on a daily basis. He always came to work and loved to play football." [i]-- WVU coach Bill Stewart[/i] "[b]I remember[/b] recruiting Chris to West Virginia like it was yesterday. He came from a humble background and was a wonderful young man and football player. Chris was like a son to me and I will cherish all the great memories that I have of him." [i]-- Michigan offensive coordinator Calvin Magee[/i] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumble In the Jungle Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [quote name='Jamie_B' date='17 December 2009 - 05:54 PM' timestamp='1261086845' post='844177'] TJ has some comments on Cowherds show - http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4750615 (scroll down) [/quote] thanks for posting that, i was wondering how TJ was. im sure he's sad as well, just wanted to hear what he had to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschooler Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [size="5"][b]Mike Brown-Marvin Lewis Press Conference[/b] [/size]Posted Dec 17, 2009 [b]Mike Brown's Comments:[/b] "We were notified an hour so ago that [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/chris-henry/96603ae9-bf37-425e-83af-e2b92581265d/"]Chris Henry[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url] died in Charlotte at 6:30 this morning. He was good at what he did as a player, and he was a teammate to our players and a friend to almost all of us in the building here. We knew him in a different way than his public persona. He was soft spoken, pleasant, comfortable to be around. We liked him. He had worked through troubles in his life and had seemingly reached the point where everything was going to blossom, and he was going to have the future we all wanted for him and he wanted for himself. And then this tragedy cut him down. It's painful to us. We feel it in our hearts, and we will miss him." [b]Marvin Lewis's comments:[/b] "I think the most noticeable thing about Chris this year was watching him mature as a person, as a father to his kids, as someone who communicated on a different level and was pleasing to see. And that, for our football team, is what we feel yesterday and this morning. The guys who were here when he was drafted had watched him mature as a young man and work through adversity and come out of it, and be a beacon of hope for other people. It's a very difficult thing with his loss ... a young life, and one that won't ever get to reach its full potential. It's a shame, and our prayers are with his family, his mom, brothers and children as they deal with his loss. It's a solemn mood we have here today." [b]Q: It has been a tough year for the Bengals, with the passing of Mike Zimmer's wife, the tsunami in American Samoa affecting some players' families, and now the passing of Chris Henry. How do you keep the team's focus in a time like this? ML:[/b] "I think we have to show, in the true sense of the word, what a professional is when everything is going on around you. As a professional you have a job to do, and this is part of it. We have to rely on the strength of each other and collectively as a football team, and the 'professional' quality of the football team will win out and come to the top." [b]Q: How did you break the news to the team, and what was that moment like? ML:[/b] "I spoke with the players a couple times today, and really as I've said many times, what I say to the players is basically what I say to the players. So that's between us." [b]Q: Were you concerned after the injury, when he was not around as much, that he wouldn't have the team's structure to help him? Or was he beyond that? ML:[/b] "I think we were somewhat beyond that for Chris. He had been here recently to see the doctors and do the things he was supposed to do medically. But there really wasn't much he could do for a certain time (in terms of rehab). He was with their family down there, which has been a very comfortable environment and really has been a great spot for him to be. And he spent a lot of time down there once he was able to do that, so we were very comfortable with him in that environment." [b]Q: What kind of change had you seen in him since you last re-signed him? ML:[/b] "Last August, I had a talk with Chris before he was brought back to our football team, and then I filled Mike (Brown) in on the details of our meeting and the couple hours that we spent together. It was Chris, Loleini and the kids, actually. And there was a different man that was sitting across from me, a different person. And from that point on, we've seen pretty much a continual growth of Chris in things and a degree of responsibility, expanding his role here, learning all three positions and our three-wide receiver sets or two-wide receiver sets and both positions in the regular sets. So quite an expansion of both football, as well as off the field. I shared with Mike this story early in the season, when Chris asked me about getting the ticket to the Moeller-Elder football game so that he had enough tickets for his entire family. So things like that. To me it's a minor thing, but it talked about the level of growth that Chris had had." [b]Q: To Mike Brown: You stood behind Chris to give him a second chance when others wouldn't. Can you reflect on that? MB:[/b] "I don't regret it. He had troubles, and some of them were made more of than I think they actually were. But we knew him here as the person he was in fact. And yes, it was challenging at times with him, but he was someone who we liked and thought could regroup, catch himself and restart his life. And to his credit, I think he did that. And it's a terrible tragedy that just at the time he was running to daylight, if you will, his life was snuffed out." [b]Q: What don't we know about Chris Henry that we should? ML:[/b] "Well, I think Mike has talked a lot about that already – his soft-spokenness, his genuineness. I think everybody here – a lot of people – have spent time helping Chris develop as a person, and they all saw those sides, those traits in Chris that allowed him to overcome some of the things and kind of right his life." [b]Q: How do you put this behind you to play the game on Sunday, at San Diego? ML:[/b] "I think I already answered that question, so we should just kind of stick with that and go forward." [b]Q: What will be your lasting memory of Chris? MB:[/b] "For me, it's an odd memory. We had our Christmas party here a few years ago and he was there, and I had a chance to talk to him. Anymore I don't get around the players like I once did, but in this situation it was just the two of us talking. And my impression, the impression he left me with, was altogether different than how he's been portrayed. He was gentle, alert, well-spoken, interesting to talk to, and he won me over. When I think of him, I will think of him at that moment. I'll think of him catching the pass against Pittsburgh (in the 2006 playoffs). I'll think of him in practice sessions just out there on the field running around the way he did. I'll have a picture in my eye with Loleini and the children, the young children. What I saw was a good person at heart. Sometimes he wasn't described that way, but that's how I knew him." [b]ML:[/b] "I think I have a number of ones. I can remember the first ball thrown to Chris, and he caught it, and it was a deep ball in practice in rookie camp. The first thing he did was stick up his finger. I told the receiver coach at that time, 'You'd better get him.' Then, I think about just making plays, and that was the thing that always Chris did and that's what I told our guys. They were told this morning that to help deal with this, they should hang on to all the positive and the fun things they remember about Chris. "But my most recent one is before we played the Bears (on Oct. 25 of this year). Chris had been sick that week, stricken with the flu. And so he had missed Friday and I believe Saturday, and he began to turn the corner Saturday night. They didn't allow him to the team hotel, but early Sunday morning he was feeling better so he met me here and I watched him work out on the field. They didn't really do much but stand and catch. I said, 'No, no, I need to see him run.' So he ran routes. Jordan (Palmer), I think, was throwing. Chris came over and sat with me on the photographer's stand at the end of the end zone and he said, 'Coach, I feel better than I've felt in the last month.' I said, 'You know what? You look that way, so you suit up today.' And just the grin on his face, because again, when Chris spoke and talked, you got to see the genuine person. "And a lot of times Chris was very quiet, and he let everybody speak for him too much. And when Chris turned the corner was when he began to speak up himself, and distance himself from the people that were dragging him down, and express his real thoughts and feelings. And I thought that day, he did that. I thought the day before the Baltimore game, he came to me and he had that twinkle in his eye and he said, 'I feel the same way today.' And unfortunately, he got hurt so early in that game. Those are the things I remember about Chris." [b]Q: How much did Loleini help him turn around? ML:[/b] "Well, Loleini had been a very steadying force in Chris' life, since she came into his life." [b]Q: You talk about people making good decisions. He was a good example of someone who had not. Had he begun to figure it out? Do you still say the same thing to players about making decisions? ML:[/b] "No question. I think everybody saw that. As I just kind of finished up saying there, Chris could never figure out that some of these people were dragging him down, until he had the last scrape, when he was accused of whatever. He didn't do it, and no one stood up and said, 'It was me.' "And then, finally when it all came out in the wash and the right person was accused, then Chris finally figured it out: 'You know what? These people are not here for my benefit because they do things, and I'm always going to be the one blamed for it or put in the center of it, and they're not willing to really own up for what they did.' "And that was the point where his whole life, his whole career, turned around because then, it became focusing on his and his tiny little inner circle, and he was able to get his arms around that better. If you think back, a lot of Chris' troubles began with (Hurricane) Katrina, and him becoming the sole breadwinner for the entire family, and just being inundated with people from New Orleans and Louisiana. So Chris had a lot on his plate since he was here." [url="http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Mike-Brown-Marvin-Lewis-Press-Conference/ad1211f1-a7e7-4ef5-a838-e7fe0bc5a6f9"]http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Mike-Brown-Marvin-Lewis-Press-Conference/ad1211f1-a7e7-4ef5-a838-e7fe0bc5a6f9[/url] Bengals.com VIDEO of the Press Conference . . . [url="http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/M-BrownM-Lewis-Press-Conference-121709/438febb0-ff80-4747-8dec-57189a49b8e7"]http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/M-BrownM-Lewis-Press-Conference-121709/438febb0-ff80-4747-8dec-57189a49b8e7[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschooler Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 [url="http://twitter.com/TankJohnson99"][b][color="#0a0501"]TankJohnson99[/color][/b][/url] [url=""] [/url] Chris was everybodies lil brother! Slim had a spirit that cant be put into words. U just had to know him. Cuz to know him, was to love him. [url="http://twitter.com/TankJohnson99/status/6775868851"]8 minutes ago [/url]from web [url="http://twitter.com/OGOchoCinco"][b][color="#0a0501"]OGOchoCinco[/color][/b][/url] [url=""] [/url] [url="http://twitpic.com/txg39"][color="#0a0501"]http://twitpic.com/txg39[/color][/url] - I love you big bruh-you'll be missed-as we always said before every game let's be great! [url="http://twitter.com/OGOchoCinco/status/6775999129"]3 minutes ago [/url]from [url="http://twitpic.com/"]TwitPic[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Clinton Portis offers some words - http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4751968&bn_r=ecc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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