Chas Henry - Coming Through
Sunday, November 14, 2010 | Football
By Kyle Niblett, UF Communications
Some do. Some don't. That statement stems from the Florida football program's theory of competitive excellence that when an individual's number is called on a specific play, he will step on the field and make a game-changing play.
For Florida punter Chas Henry and his “count on me” attitude, that moment of great players playing great came in the first overtime in the 88-year history of the Florida/Georgia rivalry. With a passion to win, the 2009 Ray Guy Award finalist calmly drilled a 37-yard field goal through the uprights to give the Gators a 34-31 victory over the Bulldogs in Jacksonville and simultaneously kept the Gators' hopes for a ninth SEC Championship alive.
“Being from Bulldog Country (Dallas, Ga.), it meant a lot,” said Henry, a sport management major who is on track to graduate in December. “It was a special moment for my family.”
That special moment almost didn't happen. Henry, who was chosen as the 2010 Phil Steele Midseason All-American punter, didn't start kicking field goals until this past month, when the usual starter Caleb Sturgis suffered a back injury that forced him out of action. To no one's surprise though, the senior stepped in to contribute a winning effort. After all, leadership on the Florida football team is demonstrated - not announced.
"The best thing about Chas is his professional approach to college football,” head coach Urban Meyer said. “If everybody had that approach, I'd be heading home right now and not worried about it. He's such a professional. I don't want anyone else."
Not only has Henry turned into a viable option on field-goal attempts with his necessity to change, but the four-year starter is also one of the best punters in the country. With special teams an integral part of Coach Meyer's Plan to Win, Henry's relentless effort booting the ball consistently results in some of the best field position in college football during his time as a Gator. In 50 career games entering the matchup against South Carolina, Henry has averaged 43.4 yards per punt, with nearly half (62-of-148) of them ending up inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Although the distance could be much further, like his 75-yard bomb at Alabama earlier this year, the Florida coaches are committed to hang time.
"That guy, he's a weapon,” explained first-year Florida special teams coach D.J. Durkin. “He can put that ball up there, and most importantly, give us the hang time we need to get down the field and make a play."
Georgia head coach Mark Richt agreed.
“Chas Henry is fantastic,” Richt said. “He can boom it with distance and great height. He can easily get five-second hang time. When you get that kind of hang time, you're not going to return it. You just have to fair-catch it.”
Even though hang time is the foundation of Florida's punting philosophy and a part of Henry's sacrifice to his cause, the Nov. 1 Co-SEC Special Teams Player of the Week can also kick for power. As of Nov. 7, 2010, Henry leads the league with 48.2 yards per punt and has14 kicks of over 50 or more yards. In addition, the right-footed kicker is one of just three players nationally to have four punts of 60-or-more yards this season.
According to best friend and long-snapper Chris Guido, Henry factors into the game plan on a weekly basis, with his aggressive foot helping give the Gators a weekly checkmate.
“He is so competitive as a person and he's such a good athlete,” Guido said. “One of the things that Coach Meyer really stresses is field position. The fact that Chas can flip the field the way he does, it's almost like part of our game plan.''
Even though Guido and Henry are on special teams, both consider themselves to be part of the defense in a certain way.
“Anytime we can put them inside the 10-yard line, I think they have a seven percent chance of scoring a touchdown,” Henry stated. ”They understand it and Coach (Urban) Meyer makes everyone on the team understand the importance of field position. That's how I play defense, by putting our defense in great position.”
For all of the versatility that Henry has shown throughout his career in Gainesville, there's one thing that doesn't change for this Georgia Gator – the pride for his family.
"I get so much support through the coaches, my family and friends and my brothers in the locker room,” Henry acknowledged. “The internal family we have (on this team) is as strong as you can get. I don't know who the greatest punter is in college football right now, but I know I have the best punt team, the best gunners and the best coaches. If it wasn't for each individual aspect of that punt team, there wouldn't be a great punter.”
With offensive captain Mike Pouncey calling Henry a “brother,” and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin praising Henry as “a great player,” it's no wonder that the core values and attitude around this championship program have turned Henry into a champion himself. A champion who did, while others didn't, when their numbers were called.
“I would like to be known as a Gator that came in there whenever a play needed to be made and came through,” Henry said. “I want to be remembered as somebody who could be counted on each play.”
