Charlie Strong Says CJ Henderson 'Wants To Play' as Jaguars' CB Returns To Practice
Charlie Strong has specific goals in mind when it comes to CJ Henderson.
Provide the former No. 9 overall pick with help, value, focus and a playbook to be a great corner.
Strong, the Jacksonville Jaguars assistant head coach, has spent more time with Henderson off the field lately than on it.
As the Jaguars were preparing to kick-off training camp, the club placed Henderson on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The list is designated for those who have either tested positive for COVID-19 or been deemed a close contact of a positive case. While other Jaguars players this offseason have tested off of the list fairly quickly, Henderson remained as a reserve until last Friday, August 6, when he was officially activated back to the roster.
The second year corner was seen at practice on Tuesday, working out on the sidelines. Wednesday, he was spotted again, working on the stationary bike. This is part of the acclimation period players must go through as they prepare to come off of the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
“I think it’s been November, October since the last time he played and I had no idea. Really talented guy — good guy. It’s almost like okay he is back—COVID- 19. And then okay he is back—three-day acclimation,” lamented Head Coach Urban Meyer on Wednesday, before adding he expected Henderson back on Thursday or Friday at the time.
However, Henderson was not seen at practice on Friday. Having been removed from the COVID list at that point, the question became if his absence was related to something else. Possible even something not football related.
On Tuesday, while speaking with local media, Strong confirmed a previous report that he and Meyer went to visit Henderson on Friday morning ahead of practice. The goal of the visit wasn’t to bring Henderson to the facility, according to Strong. Moreso, “we just had a conversation with him,” explained Strong.
“Any time you have a great young man like that, you want to make sure that you do everything possible to help him and to help him get back on track. I was telling Coach [Urban Meyer], I said we’re out of the process of just trying to get guys and just push them aside. Our whole thing’s just creating value for them.”
Henderson has proven to be extremely valuable for the Jaguars in the past.
Henderson (23) forces a fumble versus the Packers in 2020. Mandatory Credit: Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Henderson made an immediate impact on the field as a rookie last season. His first game—the Jaguars lone win of the 2020 season—Henderson intercepted Philip Rivers. Later on, he made the game-winning pass break-up. In Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers, he chased down Davante Adams to force a fumble.
Henderson started all eight games in which he appeared, accumulating six total pass-breakups and 36 total tackles, along with the interception and forced fumble. He was placed on IR after Week 10 and didn't return.
But making that impact, finding that value, requires being on the field.
Saturday finally saw Henderson not only return to the field but to drills as well. He participated throughout practice including in team drills. But then, he was not in attendance on Sunday for the team’s scrimmage/practice inside the stadium. After the scrimmage, Urban Meyer was asked two questions about Henderson. He responded with a total of five words.
Can you talk about what’s happening with CJ Henderson?
“Personal reasons.”
Is it going to be difficult for him to come back and overcome this time off?
“I don’t know.”
Monday was the Jags off day. Tuesday morning, Henderson was back on the field and a full participant in practice—as Jaguar Report noted and reported—a welcome sight for Strong.
“He’s a really good player and the thing about it is we know this; he can make us a lot better football team. Just to see him get around us and get out on the field and go to work was really exciting.”
As for what happens next with Henderson in relation to his impact on the Jaguars, the club has a truncated period to cover a long process.
“It’s just hard to say because today was his first day. So, we’re going to have to work through it and we’re going to do everything we can to get him in position where he can come back and go to work for us,” said Strong.
“It’s all a buildup now because he hasn’t been out there. So, you want to make sure that when he goes in a game that he’s fit and ready to go play.”
Strong, who also coaches inside linebackers, said Henderson’s participating in this coming Saturday’s pre-season game against the Cleveland Browns will be dependent on how quickly he progresses this week in practice. The club added Tyson Campbell and Shaquill Griffin this offseason, as well as re-signing Sidney Jones IV. Those three, in addition to Tre Herndon and an emerging Chris Claybrooks make for an already crowded corner unit.
Henderson has proven to posses the talent needed to make plays on the field. And for what it’s worth, this defense under new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen resembles the defense Henderson ran in college with the Florida Gators. But catching him up through the Jaguars installs in the next four weeks will require extreme focus, which is the other thing Strong wants to help Henderson achieve.
“I think that we still have enough time here because we’re a month still out from playing our first game. I know we have these preseason games, and they will always be good to get him back so he can get out there and run around. But just knowing that he can get back and that we can just teach him the defense and he can learn it, because we’re doing a lot on defense and that’ll be good for him to get back and just go through the whole learning process. Even if he can’t come out to practice, just being in the classroom really helps.”
“When you talk about just focus, it’s just more of him getting around and being out at practice and then he will get focused and locked in. But it’s going to be a step-by-step process and we’re willing to take whatever time we need to take to help work with him. When you say focus, [we need to] just make sure that we can just get him out there, whether in the classroom or on the playing field, that we have him around us.”
How soon will Henderson be back on the field for the Jaguars? He has a month to make strides. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
There have been no specifics given to explain Henderson’s on-again, off-again absence over the past few days. Seeing as how he’s been activated from the COVID-19 list, and hasn’t been physically limited in the practices he did participate in, the reason is understandably assumed to be non-football related.
Whether Henderson or any other player, Strong feels a sense of responsibility to lend a helping hand through what can be a tumultuous time under the microscope. Given the strides athletes have pushed for in relation to mental health in recent months, he has more of an opening to do so.
“I think that what’s really happened now with the mental health, everything’s driven now by social media,” posed Strong.
"That’s all available to them and as much as you tell them not to read it, they still read it. Now, some things that you felt like that it never got out, now it gets out because just the availability. All you have to do is tell someone something and then it’s like a spark and the fire becomes a big fire. More than anything now, you just try to work with young men and females, whether it be males or females in any sport, because the mental aspect is there.
“Each and every day we’re telling them, hey, you have to get better, but you really have to develop a great relationship to get them to open up to you and to tell you whatever it may be that’s bothering them that you can help them work through it.”
Strong and Meyer have spent time with Henderson in recent days, working on forging that relationship and trust, providing help, value and focus. It’ll pay off for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but more importantly to Strong, it’ll pay off for CJ Henderson.
“He wants to play, that’s the thing. He’s going to do everything he can to get back and we’re going to everything we can to help him get back.”
