Five-star recruit Chris Henry Jr. spoke with former NFL star Ryan Clark about his Ohio State commitment and being the son of a former NFL star.
Chris Henry Jr. Speaks About The “Blessing” Being The Son of An NFL Star And a Buckeye
Being a five-star recruit comes with a great deal of expectations, more so if you’re carrying on a legacy from a parent who was a star player. For Chris Henry Jr., it’s not a burden but something to be proud of, being the son of the late Cincinatti Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry.
The future Ohio State recruit got the chance to talk about that at length while appearing on The Pivot Podcast, hosted by former NFL players Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder.
When Clark asked if the pressure of living up to his father’s legacy was a burden on him, the Mater Dei wide receiver brushed that aside.
“The way I look at it is, having that name allows me to connect with certain types of people like yourself, high class athletes, elite athletes,” Henry began. “But for me, it’s just I want to build my own legacy and just having my dad, it’s not really like a shadow. It’s just like a blessing to have that legacy.”
Chris Henry Jr. played for Mater Dei after moving from Cincinnati in 2024. He had verbally committed to the Buckeyes in 2023 and officially shut down the recruiting process by declaring his official commitment to Ohio State in April. Mater Dei would go on to win a state championship last year.
Officially shutting my recruitment down i’m 100% locked in and ready to work!! AGTG pic.twitter.com/miq4HCVkAA
— Chris Henry Jr (@ChrisHenryJr) April 1, 2025
Taylor asked Henry about how he’s handling being in the spotlight at such a young age and the expectations that come with it.
“For me, it was always just about staying humble and not letting it get to my head,” he responded. “It’s cool getting all this praise at a young age, but I’m not where I want to be at yet. It’s about getting to the point of where I want to be at in the future and continuing to work and grind.”
His father, Chris Henry, played college football at West Virginia University (2002-2004), where he recorded 1,878 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. In 2003, he earned Big East Conference freshman of the year. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft. During his five seasons with the Bengals, he had 119 receptions for 1,826 yards and 21 touchdowns.
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Chris Henry’s NFL career was marked by both talent and off-field issues. He tragically passed away in 2009 at the age of 26.
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