Sunday, June 13, 2010
John Henderson
John Nathan Henderson
#98
Position: DT
Height: 6-7 Weight: 328 lbs.
Born: January 9, 1979 in Nashville, TN
College: Tennessee
*2-time Pro Bowler (fine print)
Drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1st round (9th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft.
Def Interceptions Fumbles Tackles
Year Age Tm G GS Sk PD Tkl
2002 23 JAX 16 13 6.5 6 46
2003 24 JAX 16 16 3.5 7 47
2004* 25 JAX 16 16 5.5 4 63
2005 26 JAX 16 15 3.0 7 53
2006* 27 JAX 16 16 3.5 6 38
2007 28 JAX 15 15 2.0 3 28
2008 29 JAX 14 14 2.0 2 35
2009 30 JAX 15 15 3.0 3 26
Career 124 120 29.0 38 336
John Nathan Henderson
#98
Position: DT
Height: 6-7 Weight: 328 lbs.
Born: January 9, 1979 in Nashville, TN
College: Tennessee
*2-time Pro Bowler (fine print)
Drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1st round (9th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft.
Def Interceptions Fumbles Tackles
Year Age Tm G GS Sk PD Tkl
2002 23 JAX 16 13 6.5 6 46
2003 24 JAX 16 16 3.5 7 47
2004* 25 JAX 16 16 5.5 4 63
2005 26 JAX 16 15 3.0 7 53
2006* 27 JAX 16 16 3.5 6 38
2007 28 JAX 15 15 2.0 3 28
2008 29 JAX 14 14 2.0 2 35
2009 30 JAX 15 15 3.0 3 26
Career 124 120 29.0 38 336
Raiders No. 1 draft pick Rolando McClain told his hometown paper in Alabama that he is not planning to hold out, which is not news but always nice to hear. The inside linebacker is being picked by some ESPN experts and some of the preseason magazines hitting the shelves to be the defensive rookie of the year (and why not, he could be on the field a lot).
While it's hard to take a lot from no-pads practices in May and June -- Oakland has three more this week starting Tuesday, with the media welcome on Wednesday -- McClain has definitely looked the part of an impact player. His main job will be to stuff the run and adjust the defense to what he sees the offense doing before the snap. He is a thumper and he is smart -- any concerns over his pass-coverage skills are ill-founded as that takes time and teammates' help on the field before a rookie gets a feel for it.
"He can help us a lot," cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha told Comcast's Greg Papa. "He can help us against the run -- he's a bigger guy that can stuff fullbacks in the hole before they even get started.
"He's a smart guy, an athletic guy ... so that's going to help us out in the passing game. ... It's very early for him. Training camp can always be difficult for a rookie, so there's going to be a learning curve."
There is a great track record for Southeastern Conference linebackers taken in the first round of the NFL draft. You learn your craft in the most physical conference in the college football, you're in pretty good shape -- especially like in McClain's case, if you were one of the leaders on a national championship-winning team.
In no particular order, here are some of the SEC linebackers drafted high over the last 20 years: Derrick Thomas, Cornelius Bennett, Patrick Willis, Takeo Spikes, Jerod Mayo, John Abraham, Al Wilson ... Georgia's David Pollack would have also been a good one but had to retire from the Bengals due to vertebrae issues.
ALSO: Due to popular demand, I am going to start tweeting from practice on Wednesday. I was going to wait until training camp because again, I think football without pads and hitting is a little like 9 1/2 weeks without Kim Bassinger. Darren McFadden is the best running back in the world if there were no pads, and I will be tweeting all of his 25-yards runs starting Wednesday. ... There was a recent story about how good tackle Mario Henderson looked, but that was after a pratice of mostly 7-on-7 drills ... with no pads. C'mon people. Have we set the bar so low that the offensive line gets a thumbs up if no quarterbacks get maimed in May?
While it's hard to take a lot from no-pads practices in May and June -- Oakland has three more this week starting Tuesday, with the media welcome on Wednesday -- McClain has definitely looked the part of an impact player. His main job will be to stuff the run and adjust the defense to what he sees the offense doing before the snap. He is a thumper and he is smart -- any concerns over his pass-coverage skills are ill-founded as that takes time and teammates' help on the field before a rookie gets a feel for it.
"He can help us a lot," cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha told Comcast's Greg Papa. "He can help us against the run -- he's a bigger guy that can stuff fullbacks in the hole before they even get started.
"He's a smart guy, an athletic guy ... so that's going to help us out in the passing game. ... It's very early for him. Training camp can always be difficult for a rookie, so there's going to be a learning curve."
There is a great track record for Southeastern Conference linebackers taken in the first round of the NFL draft. You learn your craft in the most physical conference in the college football, you're in pretty good shape -- especially like in McClain's case, if you were one of the leaders on a national championship-winning team.
In no particular order, here are some of the SEC linebackers drafted high over the last 20 years: Derrick Thomas, Cornelius Bennett, Patrick Willis, Takeo Spikes, Jerod Mayo, John Abraham, Al Wilson ... Georgia's David Pollack would have also been a good one but had to retire from the Bengals due to vertebrae issues.
ALSO: Due to popular demand, I am going to start tweeting from practice on Wednesday. I was going to wait until training camp because again, I think football without pads and hitting is a little like 9 1/2 weeks without Kim Bassinger. Darren McFadden is the best running back in the world if there were no pads, and I will be tweeting all of his 25-yards runs starting Wednesday. ... There was a recent story about how good tackle Mario Henderson looked, but that was after a pratice of mostly 7-on-7 drills ... with no pads. C'mon people. Have we set the bar so low that the offensive line gets a thumbs up if no quarterbacks get maimed in May?
Darrius Heyward-Bey is not only catching everything in sight at Raiders practices, but the receiver is giving pep talks now. Effective ones, apparently.
"Louis Murphy and I went to Chaz (Schilens) yesterday and told him that we need him on the field," Heyward-Bey said. "We need all three of us if we want to be a good passing offense."
Schilens made an early return from offseason foot surgery and did most of the drills at Wednesday's practice. He planted and drove hard off his left foot and looked close to full speed.
"I'm excited to be on this offense, I'll tell you that," Schilens said. "I think we're legit, and we're taking steps forward every day, not backward. Working on turnovers, working on big plays. The offense is great. I'm just looking forward to it, being out there."
Coach Tom Cable recently said that Schilens would wait until training camp to get back on the field, but then Heyward-Bey stepped in. Well, actually, Schilens had showed team trainers enough progress last week to get back on the field anyway.
"It's been awhile for me," he said. "I just wanted to get back out here as soon as possible and start working back into it. I'm glad they let me come back out here. It feels good, and I am just going to take it slow."
Schilens missed the first eight games last season with the injury and was not completely healthy after his return. "I was able to do just enough to get on the field," he said. The third-year receiver out of San Diego State had 29 catches for 365 yards and two touchdowns, but needed another operation after the season.
"They did some stuff in there and fixed it," Schilens said. "They put a screw in there, and it feels a lot better than it did last season."
The receivers - and quarterback Jason Campbell - looked good Wednesday, though it must be said that cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Chris Johnson were out with excused absences. Heyward-Bey dominated rookies Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware and cheerleader/offensive coordinator Hue Jackson again was enthused.
"He just creates a competition every day. Every day he makes it a game," Schilens said. "He says we're trying to get them, trying to embarrass the defensive backs. I think we're winning right now."
Shut down next week: Though most of the participants seemed to be enjoying practice, somebody hasn't been and blew the whistle.
The Raiders were told to cancel two of their three practice days next week as the NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association resolved a dispute. For the second time since 2007, the Raiders either exceeded the amount of contact deemed acceptable for the offseason or practiced too long.
The club had no comment. It cannot reschedule the canceled practice days.
Briefly: Tackle Langston Walker had surgery on his elbow and is expected back for training camp. ... The Raiders signed receiver Damola Adeniji and offensive linemen Allen Smith and Elliot Vallejo. Adeniji, 6-foot-3, caught 57 passes for 807 yards and five touchdowns for Oregon State in 2009.
"Louis Murphy and I went to Chaz (Schilens) yesterday and told him that we need him on the field," Heyward-Bey said. "We need all three of us if we want to be a good passing offense."
Schilens made an early return from offseason foot surgery and did most of the drills at Wednesday's practice. He planted and drove hard off his left foot and looked close to full speed.
"I'm excited to be on this offense, I'll tell you that," Schilens said. "I think we're legit, and we're taking steps forward every day, not backward. Working on turnovers, working on big plays. The offense is great. I'm just looking forward to it, being out there."
Coach Tom Cable recently said that Schilens would wait until training camp to get back on the field, but then Heyward-Bey stepped in. Well, actually, Schilens had showed team trainers enough progress last week to get back on the field anyway.
"It's been awhile for me," he said. "I just wanted to get back out here as soon as possible and start working back into it. I'm glad they let me come back out here. It feels good, and I am just going to take it slow."
Schilens missed the first eight games last season with the injury and was not completely healthy after his return. "I was able to do just enough to get on the field," he said. The third-year receiver out of San Diego State had 29 catches for 365 yards and two touchdowns, but needed another operation after the season.
"They did some stuff in there and fixed it," Schilens said. "They put a screw in there, and it feels a lot better than it did last season."
The receivers - and quarterback Jason Campbell - looked good Wednesday, though it must be said that cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Chris Johnson were out with excused absences. Heyward-Bey dominated rookies Walter McFadden and Jeremy Ware and cheerleader/offensive coordinator Hue Jackson again was enthused.
"He just creates a competition every day. Every day he makes it a game," Schilens said. "He says we're trying to get them, trying to embarrass the defensive backs. I think we're winning right now."
Shut down next week: Though most of the participants seemed to be enjoying practice, somebody hasn't been and blew the whistle.
The Raiders were told to cancel two of their three practice days next week as the NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association resolved a dispute. For the second time since 2007, the Raiders either exceeded the amount of contact deemed acceptable for the offseason or practiced too long.
The club had no comment. It cannot reschedule the canceled practice days.
Briefly: Tackle Langston Walker had surgery on his elbow and is expected back for training camp. ... The Raiders signed receiver Damola Adeniji and offensive linemen Allen Smith and Elliot Vallejo. Adeniji, 6-foot-3, caught 57 passes for 807 yards and five touchdowns for Oregon State in 2009.
'Big' John Henderson fills need for Raiders
Vittorio Tafur, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, June 12, 2010
John Henderson was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars i...
(06-11) 21:05 PDT -- Quentin Groves has had a front-row seat for "Big" John Henderson's pregame ritual, and it's even more shocking live than it is on YouTube.
At 6-foot-7, 335 pounds, Henderson had one of the Jacksonville Jaguars' puny little trainers slap him hard across the face before he took the field. Sometimes more than once.
"It's cool," said Groves, Henderson's teammate again Friday after the Raiders agreed to a one-year deal with the free-agent defensive tackle. "It gets him up for the game, and everybody else around too."
Groves, a linebacker whom Oakland acquired from Jacksonville in May, was thrilled about the news and said Henderson was "excited" when the two had lunch Friday. Henderson was unavailable for comment, and the Raiders have not confirmed the move.
"The main things he brings (are) veteran leadership, enthusiasm and a real physical style of play," Groves said. "He loves playing the game of football."
Jacksonville released the eight-year veteran four days after it selected Cal defensive tackle Tyson Alualu in the first round of the NFL draft. Henderson, 31, is a two-time Pro Bowler who was once regarded as one of the premier run-stuffers in the league. The Jaguars, who signed Henderson to a six-year, $34 million extension in 2006, are going young and cutting costs.
Friday's signing also bolsters what was already a great draft for Oakland. A league source said Jacksonville offered Henderson to the Raiders in April for a fourth-round pick, but Oakland was willing to give up only a fifth-rounder. Now the Raiders have him for no draft picks for one season - little risk for the big reward of a player's bounce-back season.
"There's no question he has a lot left in the tank," said Groves, who played with Henderson for two years. "A lot of things are falling the Raiders' way these days."
Henderson started in 120 of 124 appearances with the Jaguars. He registered 329 tackles, 29 sacks and eight forced fumbles and joins a team that has needed a defensive tackle since releasing Gerard Warren in March.
Henderson could play alongside Tommy Kelly in the 4-3 defense, with Richard Seymour, Matt Shaughnessy and Lamarr Houston rotating on the outside.
Henderson joins a team that is clearly excited about its chances of topping last year's five wins. The Raiders have traded for quarterback Jason Campbell, released quarterback JaMarcus Russell, brought in Hue Jackson as offensive coordinator and drafted possible defensive stalwarts in linebacker Rolando McClain and Houston.
At practice Wednesday, players were as giddy and animated as schoolkids playing two-hand touch at recess.
"We've discovered a Fountain of Youth," Groves said. "Everyone's excited, working hard and there's a nice little buzz going right now."
Vittorio Tafur, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, June 12, 2010
John Henderson was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars i...
(06-11) 21:05 PDT -- Quentin Groves has had a front-row seat for "Big" John Henderson's pregame ritual, and it's even more shocking live than it is on YouTube.
At 6-foot-7, 335 pounds, Henderson had one of the Jacksonville Jaguars' puny little trainers slap him hard across the face before he took the field. Sometimes more than once.
"It's cool," said Groves, Henderson's teammate again Friday after the Raiders agreed to a one-year deal with the free-agent defensive tackle. "It gets him up for the game, and everybody else around too."
Groves, a linebacker whom Oakland acquired from Jacksonville in May, was thrilled about the news and said Henderson was "excited" when the two had lunch Friday. Henderson was unavailable for comment, and the Raiders have not confirmed the move.
"The main things he brings (are) veteran leadership, enthusiasm and a real physical style of play," Groves said. "He loves playing the game of football."
Jacksonville released the eight-year veteran four days after it selected Cal defensive tackle Tyson Alualu in the first round of the NFL draft. Henderson, 31, is a two-time Pro Bowler who was once regarded as one of the premier run-stuffers in the league. The Jaguars, who signed Henderson to a six-year, $34 million extension in 2006, are going young and cutting costs.
Friday's signing also bolsters what was already a great draft for Oakland. A league source said Jacksonville offered Henderson to the Raiders in April for a fourth-round pick, but Oakland was willing to give up only a fifth-rounder. Now the Raiders have him for no draft picks for one season - little risk for the big reward of a player's bounce-back season.
"There's no question he has a lot left in the tank," said Groves, who played with Henderson for two years. "A lot of things are falling the Raiders' way these days."
Henderson started in 120 of 124 appearances with the Jaguars. He registered 329 tackles, 29 sacks and eight forced fumbles and joins a team that has needed a defensive tackle since releasing Gerard Warren in March.
Henderson could play alongside Tommy Kelly in the 4-3 defense, with Richard Seymour, Matt Shaughnessy and Lamarr Houston rotating on the outside.
Henderson joins a team that is clearly excited about its chances of topping last year's five wins. The Raiders have traded for quarterback Jason Campbell, released quarterback JaMarcus Russell, brought in Hue Jackson as offensive coordinator and drafted possible defensive stalwarts in linebacker Rolando McClain and Houston.
At practice Wednesday, players were as giddy and animated as schoolkids playing two-hand touch at recess.
"We've discovered a Fountain of Youth," Groves said. "Everyone's excited, working hard and there's a nice little buzz going right now."
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