Prisons were built for people such as Travis Henry.
When a person messes up and is given countless chances to clean up, only to mess up again, then it becomes better for everybody if he is removed from society.
Perhaps there is a lesson Broncos players can learn from the sad saga of their former teammate, who at this time last season was the NFL’s leading rusher.
“It shows you always have to mind your p’s and q’s, man,” said Broncos defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban. “Never think you’re better than the team — and when you’re out of football, you’re not bigger than anybody else.”
Menace to society. Google it up and maybe one day the search engine will drop in Henry’s mugshot. Many of us have dealt with the consequences, and blessings, of out-of- wedlock babies — an estimated four in 10 U.S. babies were born to unwed mothers in 2005 alone. Four in 10 is venial next to Henry’s ratio of nine children with nine women.
Henry was blessed with one useful skill — running with the football — that even in this horrendous economy paid him millions of dollars. It was $6.7 million, to be exact, that the Broncos paid him for one disappointing season. It would have been $22.3 million had Henry obeyed some simple rules.
Not only did Henry smoke it all away, he cooked up the good stuff and smoked some more.
Call me cynical, but I’m beginning to doubt Henry’s positive marijuana test last season was the result of second-hand smoke.
I know. The Henry saga isn’t worth joking about. I got to know Henry enough to understand there is a lot of good in him. He’s not as stupid as his actions suggest. The man has his charms, as at least nine women would agree.
“He’s not a bad person,” Ekuban said. “He was a good locker room guy. He wasn’t a me-me guy. Guys that get in trouble, 90 percent of them are not bad guys. They just make bad choices, hanging around the wrong people. Same thing you’re told about in elementary school.”
Perhaps Henry’s misbehavior can be explained by a flawed upbringing, or a genetic defect in his frontal lobe, or whatever. But let a brave psychologist figure him out from prison, where everybody has a story.
The world out here is a better place with Henry in there. He had his chance. And he had another chance and another and another and another.
Henry understood the difference between right and wrong. He was smart enough to understand the consequences of wrong. And he chose wrong, anyway.
Coaching decorum.
Until Tampa Bay’s Jon Gruden started making running leaps and fist pumps in the Super Bowl following the 2002 season, NFL coaches rarely showed emotion. Now, Gruden is joined by New Orleans’ Sean Payton and Tennessee’s Jeff Fisher, demonstrative coaches uninhibited by feelings of joy.
“I love the game just like the players do,” Gruden said. “I might be one of (the few head) coaches still calling the plays. You know, you work all week. You get there early, you stay late. You work on the practice field, you call a running play and you worked all week against that front and it works. I’m not going to apologize for getting excited. Or if the flag goes against us, that has a tendency to disappoint me. I love the game. I love to compete.”
Foxworth update.
Former Broncos cornerback Domonique Foxworth hasn’t played as much as he did in Denver since his trade to the Falcons.
“They want me to get more comfortable with their technique,” Foxworth said.
The Broncos usually have their cornerbacks play a few yards off the receiver and read the quarterback. This is the technique at which Champ Bailey excels. The Falcons’ cornerbacks press more at the line of scrimmage and read the receiver.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
