Mater Dei receiver and Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr #15 during a game. Image via @

"Pops was one of them"- Former NFL star Brandon Marshall pays tribute to late Bengals WR Chris Henry while posing with his son

Modified Jan 21, 2025 01:28 GMT

There have been many groups of family members to play professional sports, especially in the NFL. Many fathers' sons followed in their footsteps and played in the NFL, and Chris Henry Jr may not be any different.

Former Denver Broncos, New York Jets/Giants, Miami Dolphins, and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Brandon Marshall took to Instagram to show support for Chris Henry Jr, posting an Instagram story with him, saying:

"Pops was one of them."

Brandon Marshall was referring to the late Chris Henry Sr, a former NFL receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. Henry Sr. was drafted by the Bengals with the 83rd overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. In five seasons with the Bengals, Chris Henry totaled 119 catches for 1,826 yards and 21 touchdowns in 55 games played.

After Henry Sr's passing in 2009, the NFL would honor Henry with number 15 decals on their helmets.

It was reported by Bleacher Report in an article written by Mark Rudi in 2009, that Brandon Marshall decided to honor Chris Henry by wearing his last name on his Jersey for a game against the then-Oakland Raiders.

Although wearing a different last name on the jersey other than the athlete's is a uniform violation, Marshall still decided to honor him that way and risk a fine from the NFL.

Brandon Marshall and Chris Henry played against each other throughout college. Brandon spoke on their friendship at the time to the Colorado Gazette, stating:

"He was a buddy of mine."

Chris Henry Jr recruiting breakdown

Chris Henry Jr, out of Mater Dei High School in California, is a 2026 wide receiver prospect. He's rated as a 4-star recruit, the 3rd-best wide receiver in the country, the 2nd-best player in California, and the 13th-best player in the country, according to 247sports.

He holds over 30 offers from schools like Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, and others but ultimately committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes in July 2023. The six-foot-five 205-pounder is an explosive player that can go up and get the ball. He utilizes his speed and size to an advantage against opposing defensive backs and that gives him the ability to win one-on-one matchups.

Before transferring to Mater Dei, Chris Henry Jr attended Withrow High School in Ohio from 2022 through part of 2024 where he totaled 20 receptions for 161 receiving yards and five touchdowns in eight games played for Withrow.