The voice of USF Athletics, Jim Louk, will routinely put down his radio headset and pick up the pen to share his perspective on the history of USF Athletics. Louk has been broadcasting games for 27 years and is the resident historian in the Athletics Department hallways. This week he honors 2011 Hall of Fame Inductee Anthony Henry.

The Class of 2011 - Anthony Henry

There is a poignant moment on the 2006 USF Football 10 year anniversary video. A segment showing highlights of the first public scrimmage in 1996 concludes with a shot of a young man quietly walking off the field alone after a hard day's work.

The images capture Anthony Henry at age 19, on a September afternoon when all of his USF and NFL games were still ahead of him.

Not many of us would have had the foresight to predict on that day that as of 2011, Anthony Henry would have the longest, and arguably most successful, NFL career of any Bull. Or that he would be the first football player in the USF Hall of Fame.

“It's hard to say that about any freshman, especially those entering a brand new program,” says former Athletic Director Lee Roy Selmon, now the President of the USF Foundation Partnership for Athletics. “Then again, you can't measure the heart of each player. Anthony took things as a challenge. He found the formula to excel and he never wavered after finding that formula.”

Henry came from Estero High School where he did it all….playing quarterback and defensive back. He even punted, averaging over 41 yards per kick. He was a member of USF's first ever signing class in 1996 and was a part of the group that practiced all through that year in anticipation of finally playing a game in 1997.

Despite his high school football accolades, his start with the Bulls was a humble one because of academic issues. How he solved those issues provides insight in to how he became one of USF football's greatest success stories.

He came in as a partial qualifier; then known as a Prop 48 player. It meant that once here, the academic road for Henry would be even tougher than it is for most USF student-athletes.

“In order to have four full seasons of competition, he had to graduate within a four year period,” says USF Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Steve Horton. “That meant his time to get a degree was shorter than most student-athletes. A Prop 48 player in that era had to redshirt as a freshman. That left a tremendous challenge for him to get his degree completed, so he could play his senior year.”

“I had to show them I could do the academic work,” says Henry. “That was the only way I could get back my senior year.”

Henry wound up taking a demanding number of credit hours throughout his final USF spring and summer to achieve eligibility for a senior season on the football field.

“That was a blessing for me because I was the first one in my family to go to college and graduate. That spoke volumes not only for me but also for the young kids in my family…my nieces and nephews. I would take my academic achievements over football any day. I'm proud to say that.”

When you consider the level of his football achievements, that's saying a lot.

Henry, as much as any Bull of that era, set the tone for the fast and aggressive defenses that have become a hallmark of USF football. He intercepted 10 passes in his career (five in his senior season) and left the program as USF's second leading all time tackler. He recovered six fumbles, also a team record at the time, and had an 18-tackle game in 1999. He was USF's defensive MVP in 1997.

Maybe even more telling though, were the little extras that Henry was asked to provide. In 1997, when the Bulls needed to shadow talented Western Kentucky option quarterback Willie Taggart, Henry was selected and responded with 12 solo tackles. In 1998, when the Bulls wanted a new look in the offensive backfield, Henry quarterbacked the team briefly. When a boost was needed in the return game, he showed up there.

The bottom line was, no matter where he played, USF was a different team with Anthony Henry on the field.

A better one.

According to Henry, the lessons he was learning at that time extended beyond the playing field.

Among his mentors was the late Andre Waters, who was his position coach at USF.

“I give a lot of credit to him,” says Henry. “He helped me in ways more important than football. He's one of the main reasons I was there. The loss of him (in 2006) affected me a lot.”

“The relationships you establish in college inside and outside of sports are some of the most important you have in life. That's what I tell kids when I speak at youth games and camps.”

While Henry takes great care to remember his mentors, it's clear he was touching a lot of people around USF at the same time.

“He set the standard for what we look for,” says Selmon. “His Hall of Fame induction means a lot to me. He values this place. He worked hard, bought in, and developed his football skills. It paid off to what I think he would say is more than a dream come true. Personally, I'd want a lot of Anthony Henrys on my team.”

Following his USF career, Henry was part of a remarkable moment in NFL draft history, when three consecutive Bulls were selected. It was a watershed moment for the USF football program; a team that had played exactly four years of football was sending player after player (literally) to the NFL.

“It probably sent the program to the next level,” says Henry. “Especially for kids around Florida that were being recruited by USF.”

Henry was selected by Cleveland and went on to play nine NFL seasons, ending with the Lions in 2009. He totaled 31 interceptions in 132 games in his professional career.

Now, the young retiree is getting used to life after football.

“It's quite an adjustment. I miss game day, and after the game in the locker room. But it's the next stage of my life. I'm thankful that I have no lingering injuries. Right now I'm in a great place.”

An additional great place awaits him. On November 18, 2011, Anthony Henry will carry the banner of Bulls football in to the USF Athletics Hall of Fame….when he becomes the first football player to be enshrined.

GO BULLS!

Be sure to follow the Voice of the Bulls, Jim Louk, on Twitter at @USFjimlouk