Washington State Cougars On SI

LINKS: Former Coug Daiyan Henley Recounts Rejuvenation at WSU for The Players' Tribune

Joe Londergan

Nov 5, 2022; Stanford, California, USA; Washington State Cougars linebacker Daiyan Henley (1) during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Nov 5, 2022; Stanford, California, USA; Washington State Cougars linebacker Daiyan Henley (1) during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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Cougar fans will remember former Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley for his All-American season in Pullman in 2022. That season, he totaled 106 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss, four sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Nowadays, Henley is top of the depth chart for the Los Angeles Chargers ahead of his second season in the NFL.

Henley penned an autobiographical piece for The Players' Tribune where, among other things, he detailed how following former WSU defensive coordinator Brian Ward to WSU from Nevada after the 2021 season helped him find a passion for the sport of football again.

"Once I got to Wazzu, things weren’t easy. If anything, I was tested even more. This was my last shot to make it to the league. This time there’s no one to blame. I’m not dealing with politics or any other b.s. anymore. So I had no excuses. It’s all on me. I just stayed down and prayed up, man — just doing everything I could do, but the difference was that I finally had the support system of a team and coach that believed in me."

- Daiyan Henley in The Players' Tribune

Read the full piece here.

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Joe Londergan
JOE LONDERGAN

Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.

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