Where Are They Now: William Henry

Will Henry was a member of Tommy Bowden's inaugural 1999 recruiting class. The massive, and yet startlingly athletic All-State offensive linemen hailing from Greenville High School, was a sought after commodity for both Clemson and South Carolina. In the end, Will decided to stay in the upstate and attend Clemson, which we can all agree was the correct choice. Henry made his starting debut for the Tigers in 2002 as a redshirt junior, replacing an injured Derrick Brantley at right tackle. As a senior in 2003 Henry shifted over to left tackle, and used his athleticism to help anchor the 2003 line and protect Charlie Whitehurst's blindside. Off the field, Will was the first Clemson player to ever earn two degrees before finishing his playing career. I had the privilege of hanging out with Will and his on a few occasions both during and after college, and Will Henry is probably more exceptional off the field than on it, and he was an excellent player for the Tigers. He was (and still is) an all-around good guy. So, without further polishing of Will's ego...let me reintroduce you to #70, one of the Upstate's finest products....William Henry.

How's it going Will? The last time I saw you was at Cedric and Sarah's wedding. I'm going to assume a good bit has changed since then. What are you up to these days.

I have been married to my wonderful wife, Veronica, for 10 years and we have two children, Lindsey (7) and Trevor (5).

You were a part of Tommy Bowden's first recruiting class at Clemson in 1999. Was it tough to commit to a new head coach?

It was a little different. 1999 was the year that both USC and Clemson made coaching changes. My choices were narrowed to those two schools and the winning tradition at Clemson was the deciding factor.

I know you put in some substantial work in classroom over your time at Clemson. What are your degree(s) in?

I have a BA in Sociology and a Master's in Human Resource Development.

Linemen are known to drop some weight after their playing days are over. What was your top weight at Clemson, and what are you weighing in at today?

I am actually heavier now than I was at Clemson.  I played my senior year at 285. I reached 330 in Seattle (but i had 11% body fat). I am currently 310-315.

Thinking back on your days at Clemson, what were some of the most gratifying victories?

The most gratifying comes down to the absolute dismantling of South Carolina my senior year (63-17), beating FSU my senior year,  and beating Tennessee in the Peach Bowl.

Playing left tackle, you matched up against some of the premier pass rushers in the ACC, does any particular player stand out in your memory as being particularly difficult to block?

Not necessarily difficult but I did have the opportunity to play against some future high draft picks (including a number 1 pick and some other first rounders)

Do you have any advice for incoming Clemson football players?

ENJOY,ENJOY,ENJOY and start preparing for your future on and off the field the first day you step on campus. Don't wait until your junior or senior year to work hard for the NFL or to start that business.

Do you get back to Death Valley for any games?

I haven't been back for a game in a few years. I have been up to work football camps, though.

What is your prediction for the upcoming season?

We'll be back to the "Big Show"!!

You went on a football odyssey after leaving Clemson. Can you tell everyone about the stops you made?

Atlana Falcons -2004 cut after the preseason

NFL Europe- 2005 played for Franfurt Galaxy in Frankfurt, Germany

Seattle Seahawks-2006 practice squad during super bowl XL

You and your wife were both athletes at Clemson, does this mean we have some future Henry athletes in the Clemson pipeline?

They are definitely going to have the genes required. They are currently involved in soccer, swimming,  and basketball.

I think we can both agree that getting old is terrible. This morning I participated in something called "water aerobics" because my knees are shot, and it was humiliating, but I walked around with significantly less pain than a normal workout later in the day, what do you miss about not being old?

"Burning the candle on both ends" ( ability to stay up all night and party with very little recovery time and do it over and over) definitely created many memories.

We both married Clemson Women's Rugby players. Does Veronica get irrationally upset when someone doesn't wrap up in a tackle? Sarah is prone to throwing things and swearing when she sees poor tackling form.

My wife gets more upset over incorrect grammar. ...lol

Bonus Round:

Who is in better shape right now, you or Veronica?

It depends on the challenge. She is definitely the long distance runner of the family, but short distances in the flash of an eye is all me!

I have watched every episode of Wild Krats, and have all the Lilo and Stitch movies memorized, what kids programing is on constant repeat at the Henry house?

Ninja turtles,  Monster High, GI Joe (old school for my son) and He-Man ( my daughter likes)

I want to thank Will for taking the time to help me on this project. I have a few more players lined up, but am always looking for more. If you know (or are) a former Tiger athlete willing to help me out, feel free to leave a comment in the message section of the article, or hit me up on twitter, Drew Schneider@drewtigeralum.