Henderson relies on faith to get through all his pain, heartache

ATLANTA - When Eric Henderson woke up the day after the game, the pain surged through his ailing right ankle.

That's OK.

He's been through a lot worse.

Georgia Tech's senior defensive end has coped with all sorts of tragedy in his life. He never knew his father and was only 10 when he lost his mother to cancer. A grandmother who took over the job of raising him succumbed to kidney failure. An aunt he lived with also died.

Growing up, Henderson barely survived the mean streets of New Orleans. Then, he watched Hurricane Katrina ravage his hometown, forcing his remaining family to scatter in all directions and leaving him to worry for days about the fate of a sister and other relatives.

That's OK.

He's not about to look back now.

"I know which way my life needs to be headed," Henderson said. "When you're young, you don't want to step up and take on what's at stake. You back away from it. Rather than trying to see what lies ahead and where you need to be, you want to put it aside because you're not ready for it."

He's ready now. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Henderson turned to an ever-strengthening religious faith to help him wipe away all those tears, lessen the sting of all that heartache, keep on going when life kept knocking him down.

"I've had to go through a lot in my life," Henderson said. "But I'm glad to speak to how the Lord has been good to me on and off the field. It really helps shape you as a person."

Coach Chan Gailey has certainly noticed a change. Henderson struggled in the classroom when he first got to Georgia Tech, but now he's closing in on a management degree.

"His transformation as a student is amazing," Gailey said. "A couple of semesters he made the dean's list, where before he was struggling just to get by. He learned time management, he learned study skills, he realized the importance of it."

Henderson has good reason to keep looking forward.

"He's been able to see things in another light," Gailey said, "because of what he's been through in his life."

Football was the way out. Henderson was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team as a sophomore, leading the league with 11 sacks and ranking second with 24 tackles behind the line.

But he was slowed last season by a hamstring problem, then missed four games this season with a badly sprained ankle.

Henderson returned last week for a crucial game against Clemson, even though his ankle had yet to fully heal. It was hard to tell by his performance - two sacks that led to fumbles, a major reason the Yellow Jackets held on for a 10-9 victory.

"It was a blessing to be back out there," Henderson said. "I went out on faith. I was only feeling about 70 percent."

Even though Henderson was in a lot of pain after the game, he expects to start again Saturday when Georgia Tech (5-2, 3-2 ACC) hosts Wake Forest (4-5, 3-3), needing a win to become eligible for a ninth straight bowl appearance.

Teammate Kenny Scott said everyone was inspired by Henderson's return. It really didn't matter what he did on the field - just having him back was enough.

"A lot of guys stepped up while he was hurt," Scott said. "But getting him back in the lineup was a great motivating factor for the whole team. His motor was running the whole game."

Henderson admits that it was tough to watch the levees break in his hometown, to see all that water racing through the streets he knows so well. Many of his relatives lived in an area that was devastated by the flooding, leaving him to fret about their fate.

"I still had the business of going to school, playing football and trying to help this team win," Henderson said. "At the same time, I was worried about my family at home. You can't do it all by yourself. You need someone to help you. You've got to have the Lord."

His faith paid off. Everyone in his family made it out alive, though Henderson doesn't think many of them will take part in the rebuilding of New Orleans. They've already started putting their lives together in neighboring states such as Texas.

"They're just trying to figure out what they're going to do as far as relocating," he said. "They've got to get their (damaged) homes squared away, get some insurance things squared away, then try to figure out where they can have some peace when the relocate."

Henderson has already found peace amid all the turmoil.

"I feel like I'm headed in the right direction," he said. "It's great. I can't complain about anything."