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Former Florida Gators CB CJ Henderson Earns Rookie of the Week After Debut

Former Florida Gators CJ Henderson made an immediate impact for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and has been honored accordingly.

Zach Goodall

Former Florida Gators cornerback CJ Henderson has earned the NFL Rookie of the Week award following his debut with the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday.

In his first game with the Jaguars after being selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Henderson tallied five tackles, an interception, and three defended passes, including a game-winning pass breakup near the end of the contest.

“It felt good," Henderson said following the game on Sunday when asked about his first career interception. "It was a great play. I studied hard all week, and I was prepared for it, not that it was a surprise to me. But I’ve got a lot to work on, so I’m going to get started on that.”

Jacksonville used its first of two first-round picks to obtain Henderson's services after a glaring need at the cornerback position appeared prior to free agency in March. The Jaguars traded disgruntled star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams during last season and dealt fellow 2019 week one starter A.J. Bouye to the Denver Broncos before the offseason began.

Henderson earned a starting role rather immediately, opposite of Tre Herndon on the outside of Jacksonville's secondary. Throughout training camp, when he was on the field as there was a time he dealt with an illness, Henderson reportedly held his own against Pro Bowl Jaguars wide receiver D.J. Chark and created big plays.

The Jaguars selected Henderson knowing they'd need him to step in and make an impact right out of the gate. So far, so good.

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Zach Goodall
ZACH GOODALL

Zach Goodall is the publisher of AllGators.com on FanNation-Sports Illustrated, serving as a beat reporter covering football, recruiting, and occasionally other sports since 2019.  Before moving to Gainesville, Zach spent four years covering the Jacksonville Jaguars for SB Nation (2015-18) and Locked On Podcast Network (2017-19), originally launching his sports journalism career as a junior in high school. He also covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for FanNation-Sports Illustrated (2020-22). In addition to writing and reporting, Zach is a sports photographer and videographer who primarily shoots football and basketball games, practices and related events. When time permits in the 24/7 media realm, Zach enjoys road trips, concerts, golf and microbreweries. 

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