Peter Gammons on Drew Henson
The curse of unlimited potential and how it didn't quite pay off for Drew Henson.
Although, it did remind me that in addition to winning a game in Columbus, with 18TD/4INT his junior year, he has gotten a hit for the New York Yankees and thrown a TD pass for the Dallas Cowboys. That's not a shabby payoff at all. Most importantly, he seems to be in a good place in his life.
Go Blue!
February 4th, 2015 at 2:16 PM ^
All the Steinbrenners can go to hell
February 4th, 2015 at 2:17 PM ^
February 4th, 2015 at 2:20 PM ^
I still think he wasted his talent playing baseball. He could've had a Tom Brady type NFL career, on top of being a legend at Michigan. If he came back in 2001, I honestly think Michigan had a great shot at the national title and him being the #1 overall pick.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:22 PM ^
Almost NO ONE in HISTORY has a "Tom Brady type NFL career". How about we say he could have been a solid NFL starter, maybe?
February 4th, 2015 at 2:33 PM ^
But I still think he could have been a great NFL quarterback.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:38 PM ^
February 4th, 2015 at 2:36 PM ^
Brady but fast.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:55 PM ^
If Henson comes back in 2001, I think they have a great shot at the BCS title game. I tend to think they would have gotten mauled by Miami though.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:19 PM ^
Henson may be happy, but he knows he could have been a major star at football if he had stuck with it.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:30 PM ^
If he would've stuck to football he would've been a top 10 pick and made a helluva lot more money than he made playing baseball.
I feel especially bad for him because his parents are such great people and I know there is some part of them that has to regret the way things ended up.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:46 PM ^
Also, baseball contracts are guaranteed. The potential was there to make way more money there as opposed to football.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:46 PM ^
MLB players will always earn more money in their lifetime than football. Plus, you don't have to worry about health issues playing baseball.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:46 PM ^
Knew him when he was in high school, and while he was a phenomenal football player, he was even better at baseball. Plus, I think he loved baseball more as a sport. Heck, he even averaged a double-double on the basketball court which he just kind of played for the fun of it.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:32 PM ^
and it changed his life forever. What might have been, had he taken the other path?
February 4th, 2015 at 2:32 PM ^
I was at a high school district playoff game he was pitching his senior year. Brighton was playing the team that knocked them out of the playoffs in football a few months earlier (Walled Lk Western I think). Henson struck out the first 20 batters, the last dude bunted and he threw him out at first for the perfect game. It was ridiculous.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:43 PM ^
I was there for that one. They bunted because they didn't want to have all 21 batters strike out. I also remember his first high school baseball game as a freshman when he hit two grand slams. That's announcing your presence with authority.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:35 PM ^
I can still remember logging on to M-Live in August 2000 and finding out he injured his foot, that he needed pins put in and that he would be missing at least the first four games of the season. That sucked hardcore.
There's not a doubt in my mind he would have won the Heisman in 2001. Terrell was gone but he would have made it work throwing to Marquise Walker and Ronald Bellamy.
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February 4th, 2015 at 2:37 PM ^
a guy in my class was a former MLB pitcher. Henson was our QB at that time and he approached my classmate asking for advice. One of the important things he mentioned was the possbility of a longer and less injury-prone carrer in baseball. Remember it was the Yankees that drafted him so the future looked bright for him at that point.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:51 PM ^
Henson's dad screwed a lot of things up for Drew. Remember when he started coming on WDFN as a guest host, and then became a "sports agent"? Ive read reports that he steered Drew in the wrong direction and as a result they are not very close now, actually Drew was quoted as saying that in an article a year or so ago.
Gammons is incorrect in saying that Drew lead Michigan to a Bowl Win vs. Alabama. He needs to do more research.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:55 PM ^
He was so good as a junior. His game in Columbus was one of the best I've ever seen a Michigan QB play. And then he announced to much joy that he wouldn't be entering the NFL Draft and even started spring ball in 2001, only to be traded then to the Yankees and leave. Gut-wrenching.
February 4th, 2015 at 3:21 PM ^
While it is true that an MLB career is probably the better choice over an NFL career, as a star NCAA QB he was WAY closer to being an NFL player than he was an MLB player. NCAA star QB is one step from the NFL. He was TONS of steps from being an MLB quality baseball player. His swing had a major hole in it, and his fielding at 3B was subpar at best.
He had a lot of development to do to be an MLB player, while he was practically NFL ready as it was. He needed to make the decision based on the fact that he was far more viable as an NFL prospect than he was as an MLB prospect. However, the Yankees were lying to him about his future in baseball because Steinbrenner wanted to get him off of Michigan's football team.
February 4th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
February 4th, 2015 at 4:47 PM ^
"I’ve had a good life, I have a great family and I love doing what I’m doing for the Yankees."
Sounds like he's doing OK to me.
February 4th, 2015 at 5:11 PM ^
but I wonder what he would have been like as just a pitcher. He had some serious stuff, but you couldn't take the bat out of his hand with how powerful he was as a high schooler.
February 4th, 2015 at 5:18 PM ^
Thanks for sharing that. Henson is one of the more fascinating athletes and stories in Michigan history. Back in the day, Bob "Wojo" Wojnowski had the best description of Henson's Michigan career. He said it was like getting to watch an extended trailer for the greatest movie you've ever seen - and then not getting to see the movie. That was perfect. It sort of describes Mitch McGary's Michigan career, too.
February 4th, 2015 at 5:26 PM ^
You think he could have figured that if he couldn't hit a curveball he should stick with football instead. He wasn't ripping up the minor leagues in the summer while still at Michigan.
He could have been the number one draft pick in the NFL had he stayed for his senior season. And that was before they limited the cap on the draftees.
He was great at scrambling and extending the play and making the big play. Henson to Terrell was lethal. He had it!
When he did finally try the NFL he was never the same. Too many years off. He lost out to unheralded Tony Romo in Dallas.
February 4th, 2015 at 5:36 PM ^
February 4th, 2015 at 6:03 PM ^
Our High school football had a 7on7 tournament one summer at MSU. Went up against Drew's team. I remember 1 incompleted pass and that was on the receiver. First time in a competition I felt helpless. Also hitting a curve ball becomes much harder and the next level. I'm sure he never could imagine how hard hitting at the next level would be. High school pitchers are meat.