'No One Was Screaming Louder': Commanders DE KJ Henry Recalls Dad's Draft Day Moment

Washington Commanders fan Keith Henry was elated when his son KJ was drafted to his favorite NFL team.

Jeremy Brener | May 8, 2023

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Washington Commanders

When the Washington Commanders made their fifth-round selection in the NFL Draft, nobody was happier than Keith Henry.

Henry, a lifelong fan of the team, probably would have been happy with a number of choices as a pick in that spot, but the selection was particularly meaningful for him. His son KJ was taken with the No. 137 pick in the draft.

"I promise you I was very excited, but no one was screaming louder than my dad," Henry said. "Been a Commanders fan all his life. This has been his team and now it's my team. It was a big moment.”

Henry, 24, played 48 games across five seasons at Clemson, accruing a lot of experience to get him ready to play for his dad's favorite team. But Henry didn't know why his dad, a safeties coach at North Carolina A&T, was a lifelong Washington fan.

“I hadn't really, really gotten down to the bottom of what made him a Washington fan... I never really asked, but he's been one since I've known, since I've been able to see him coach football and things like that," Henry said. "Trust me, I've been watching this team for a long time.”

Now, Keith Henry has a perfect reason to be a Commanders fan.

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Published May 8, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.