Chargers TE coach on Hunter Henry: ‘He’s going to play a long time’
By Andrew Olson
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It didn’t take Hunter Henry long to make an impact in the NFL. As a rookie with the San Diego Chargers, Henry led the NFL with seven touchdown catches, a rare feat for a rookie. Los Angeles Chargers tight ends coach John McNulty says it’s only a preview of what’s to come.
“Well, he led the league in touchdowns, and that’s not something you ever expect out of a rookie. But Hunter is a kid who is going to play a long time with a lot of successful seasons,” McNulty told the team’s official site. “For a young player, he’s got a tremendous amount of poise. He has rare awareness and savvy for someone his age. You don’t have to spell everything out A-Z for him.
“The biggest thing is that he has ball skills. He can catch the ball that gets in on him fast, and he makes the contested catches with big, strong hands. You look at some of those touchdown catches, they weren’t easy. Balls were down below his knees, up over his head and he had guys draped over his back. But he’s just able to concentrate and make those plays. Those touchdowns and third down conversions are obviously big plays, and can make the difference in a game. That is what separates him from a regular player.”
While McNulty praised Henry’s catching skills at length, he also noted that the former Razorback is also an excellent blocker.
“Nowadays you look and say, that guy is a blocker and that guy is a receiver. Not everyone is well versed in both (areas),” McNulty said. “There are rare guys who you feel can do both at an exceptional level, but that is what Hunter has shown he can do already. I think he will keep getting stronger as a younger guy. He also is a hard worker; we don’t have any problems there. He has a great future ahead of him.”
This season, Henry is expected to be the Chargers’ top tight end as Antonio Gates, one of the all-time greats at the position, starts to take on more of a secondary role nearing the end of his career.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
