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WATCH: Rams DL Coach Eric Henderson Gives Passionate Speech to South Carolina Football

Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson gave a passionate speech to the South Carolina football team recently

Matt Galatzan

If nothing else, Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson is a motivator.

And during a recent visit to the University of South Carolina, Henderson displayed exactly that, giving an impassioned speech to a rebuilding football team this week.

Henderson began his speech by impressing the value of teamwork and humility. 

“We talk to our guys all the time about (how) we compete with our schemes, but we win with our people,” he told the Gamecocks. “The star of the team is the team. Period. Got a lot of individual stars, but the star of the team is the team. If you can take that concept and apply it to your situation that you have here, something special, I truly believe that South Carolina is going to be the team this year.”

Henderson did not stop there, however. 

He would also discuss his difficult upbringing. Particularly the death of his mother due, his lack of a father figure, and how he helped to raise his sisters following the death of his grandmother and aunt. 

It was a journey that Henderson had to overcome, all while trying to navigate his college curriculum and football responsibilities at Georgia Tech.

“Lost my mom when I was 9 years old. She had cancer,” he said. “Never met my daddy a day in my life. Lived with my grandmother. I’m the oldest, got a younger brother and younger sister. My grandmother passed away my senior year of high school right before I went to Georgia Tech. So my Aunt Tida was living in the house with us. She was the household, whatever. Go to Georgia Tech, freshman year, Aunt T passed away. I’m in school at Georgia Tech felt like with nobody. I’m the oldest, younger brother, younger sister. They were important to me because if I sank, there’s no hope for them in my mind.”

Suffice it to say, for South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, who is trying to establish a consistently positive culture in Columbia, Henderson was a no-brainer guest to speak to his program.

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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