DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR HAYDEN HENRY, SAFETY, PULASKI ACADEMY

Bruins’ Henry runs down foes with fervor of a lion

Pulaski Academy senior safety Hayden Henry had a teamhigh 14 tackles in the Class 5A championship game.
Pulaski Academy senior safety Hayden Henry had a teamhigh 14 tackles in the Class 5A championship game.

Hayden Henry’s impact for Pulaski Academy was felt throughout the 2016 season.

Henry at a glance

SCHOOL Pulaski Academy

CLASS Senior

POSITION Safety

HIGHLIGHTS Recorded 93 tackles, including 9½ for a loss, 4 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries, 4 forced fumbles, 4 onside kick recoveries and 16 pass breakups or defenses. ... Helped lead Pulaski Academy to its third consecutive Class 5A state championship. ... Receiving college interest from Arkansas, Air Force, Missouri State and others.

But it was in the Class 5A state championship game Dec. 3 against Wynne during which Henry’s presence stood out for the Bruins.

Henry, a 6-3, 215-pound senior safety, recorded 14 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery in the Bruins’ 55-16 victory over the Yellowjackets to win their third consecutive Class 5A state championship.

Pulaski Academy defensive coordinator Todd Wood said Henry was the focal point of the Bruins’ game plan against Wynne.

“We had packages planned for him,” Wood said. “We wanted to make sure he’s in this position. He played as an additional linebacker with the express consent of saying, ‘Go. Go after the ball and do what you have to do.’

“He has such great instincts. That’s the way it was all season long. We knew what we were capable of doing with him.”

The Bruins’ high-powered offense gets most of the attention, but it was their defense — led by Henry — that helped cement the school’s sixth state championship.

Henry, the leader of Pulaski Academy’s defense with 93 tackles, including 9½ for loss, 4 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries, 4 forced fumbles, 4 onside kick recoveries and 16 pass breakups or defenses, is this year’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps defensive player of the year.

“I knew he was a great player,” Pulaski Academy Coach Kevin Kelley said. “But even I was a little bit surprised to learn on my own how good of a football player he ended up being. I knew he’d end up being really good. But he showed me things that I didn’t even know he could do. He did them game after game. He was consistent.”

Henry switched from cornerback to safety before his junior season in 2015. He said that playing safety allows him to see the whole field.

“You have such a radar and you can see everything that’s going on,” Henry said. “You have the opportunity of being in every play.”

Kelley said Henry’s best play may have been preventing Little Rock McClellan senior running back Pierre Strong from scoring on the Lions’ final drive Oct. 28. The Bruins led 22-18 with less than three minutes remaining and Strong rushed 28 yards for a first down, but was tackled by Henry along the Pulaski Academy sidelines.

Henry’s speed on that play and throughout the season impressed Kelley.

“You see those videos on YouTube or National Geographic where a lion is chasing down a gazelle?” Kelley said. “That’s what it looked like, where they smelled blood and went out and attacked. That’s what Hayden reminded me of.”

Pulaski Academy defeated McClellan 22-18 thanks to a fumble recovery by Payton Titus and won the 5A-Central Conference championship for a fifth consecutive season.

Hayden Henry is the brother of former Pulaski Academy and Arkansas star Hunter Henry, who is currently with the San Diego Chargers. Hayden recognizes and appreciates his brother’s success, but Hayden Henry wants to make his own name during his career at Pulaski Academy.

“Before this year, I was always Hunter’s little brother. I just wanted to be Hayden Henry,” said Hayden Henry, who has received college interest from Arkansas, Air Force and Missouri State, among others. “That’s how I played. I played angry. I wanted to prove myself and I feel like I did that.”

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