Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, who played college football at West Virginia University, has died as the result of a fall that occurred during a domestic dispute with fiancée Loleini Tonga, police say. Henry, on injured reserve, was in North Carolina planning his wedding when he fell from a truck.
From The New York Times:
The police said that the dispute began at a house, which the AP reported was owned by the Tonga family, about a half-mile from the accident scene and that Henry jumped into the bed of the pickup truck as his fiancée was driving away. At some point, Henry “came out of the back of the vehicle,” the police said, although it was not clear how. The police did not say if Tonga was at the scene; 911 tapes were expected to be released later Thursday.
Henry’s bizarre death was the tragic end to a troubled life:
Once in the NFL, he was arrested several times after incidents involving driving under the influence, marijuana possession and assault, and he served multiple suspensions for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy.
In April 2008, after his fifth arrest since December 2005, he was waived by the Bengals. But several months later, the Bengals’ owner, Mike Brown, who has a history of reaching out to troubled players, re-signed Henry over the objections of Coach Marvin Lewis. After Henry served a four-game suspension for misconduct, he rejoined the team.
This season Henry had avoided trouble: in eight games before breaking his arm against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 8, he had 12 receptions for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns.
As a WVU alumnus, I have been appalled by the behavior of former Mountaineers football stars like Henry and Adam (Pacman) Jones, an even bigger embarrassment to a great school. But today, I’m just sad to see a life end so horribly.
WVU football coach Bill Stewart speaks for all Mountaineers in this statement:
The entire Mountaineer football family is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Chris Henry. He is in my thoughts, as well as those of his former teammates, right now. We say, “Once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer,” and Chris was a big part of our success during his time here. … Our hearts and prayers go out to his mother and family. He will be greatly missed.
Hopefully his tragic death will serve as a reminder that life can end in an instant and make all of us, but especially sports stars and celebrities who too often are corrupted by money, fame and power, think twice about how we choose to live during our short time on earth.
