Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In two seasons with the Gators, cornerback CJ Henderson has shown his proficiency as one of college football's top pass defenders.

It took him two games.

Henderson became the first true freshman in program history to return interceptions for touchdowns in the first two games of his career, an introduction that earned Henderson instant recognition and a starting role by the end of the 2017 season.

As Henderson enters his junior season, the secret is out. Opposing teams prefer to throw away from Henderson, not at him. The NCAA showed its respect for Henderson earlier this month when it invited him to Indianapolis.

Over the course of three intense days packed with meetings and seminars, Henderson was among 30 rising juniors who attended the NCAA's Elite Football Symposium. The conference, launched in 2017, was held at NCAA headquarters March 1-3, the same weekend as the NFL Combine took place at nearby Lucas Oil Stadium.

While the two events were held only blocks away, they resembled one another about as much as a 350-pound offensive lineman and a 150-pound kicker. The symposium was under the radar and private. The combine was on live TV and every player's 40-yard dash time live-tweeted.

Henderson had never heard of it until the invitation arrived recently.

"It's real secretive. They don't give them a bunch of free time," said former Gators defensive back Vernell Brown, now the program's director of student-athlete development. "You can't get more real. The reality is that it's a billion-dollar industry and a lot of athletes fall into the trap. To have that symposium, to bring different people in to educate you about the different aspects of the trap so you don't fall into the trap, it's priceless."

Brown accompanied Henderson to Indianapolis to get a better understanding of how to incorporate some of the symposium's lessons into UF's program on a daily basis. The primary objective of the conference is to provide high-profile college players with the information they need to successfully transition to the NFL.

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, LSU safety Grant Delpit, Clemson running back Travis Etienne and Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor were among other notable players in attendance according to ESPN.
 
NCAA officials directed the symposium and invited former NFL players, NFLPA representatives and an array of financial advisers to speak to the players about the process of hiring an agent, money management, social media branding, how NFL contracts are structured, paying taxes, how often NFL players get paid and an assortment of other topics related to transitioning from college to professional football.

Henderson said it was as if he was taking a class at UF that connected to his future. His advice to future participants: "Go out there and be focused and be ready to learn. Have your notepad out and take a lot of notes. That's really going to be what you are doing: learning the whole time."

Henderson and Brown arrived in Indianapolis early afternoon on March 1 and after getting settled, attended various meetings that night at NCAA headquarters. On March 2, they spent most of the day in meetings and took a brief trip to Lucas Oil Stadium to get a glimpse of the NFL Combine.

The trip was managed by NCAA officials who advised players to stay clear of any agents and remain in a roped off area.

"They brought us in through the back,'' Brown said. "We had some Ohio State guys there. [Buckeyes head coach] Ryan [Day] and [strength coach] Mick [Mariotti] were there. They came walking over and the guys got up and the lady about had an aneurysm. We had to tell her, 'Hey, that's their coaches.' They just assumed they might be NFL personnel. They really make it a point not to mesh those guys."

The symposium concluded with another round of meetings on the morning of March 3.

Prior to departing for Indianapolis, Henderson got a quick preview of the symposium from teammate Tyrie Cleveland, who attended the 2018 event with ex-teammates Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Jachai Polite.

Cleveland's eyes were opened during his trip to NCAA headquarters, which included mock interview sessions like the ones players face at the combine, where teams grill players over everything from their Instagram accounts to their weaknesses between the lines.

"It was a good experience,'' Cleveland said. "I had a chance to get into detail about the next level of my life. It was really important. I was shocked at first because the financial part of the NFL, most people think, 'oh, yeah, he's going to be a millionaire.' But taxes come along and then you got people coming from all around you, coming to ask for money. It basically told me how to know who I surround myself around and not to spend the money on everything when I get it.

"I think it prepared me a lot. It told me some things I can work on and come back and try to be a leader to my teammates. Also, just pass on a message to my teammates. Most kids don't get to experience that."

Both players said one of their primary takeaways from the symposium was the pitfalls of selecting an agent. Some work harder than others to take care of their clients instead of themselves, a message reinforced by speakers and money exercises at the event.

Henderson had not given much thought to the business side of being a top NFL prospect. That changed over the course of those three days, especially considering that next March he could be at the combine interviewing with NFL teams while another group of rising juniors is at NCAA headquarters.

"That was one of the main things,'' Henderson said. "Being smart with money. A lot of guys get to the league and end up blowing everything."

NCAA officials spend months researching potential candidates to invite to the symposium, aimed at players entering their third or fourth seasons and projected to be high-round NFL draft picks. Former NFL player Alan Ball, a defensive back who played nine years in the league, was one of the speakers.

A seventh-round pick in 2007 out of Illinois, Ball carved out a successful nine-year career by associating with financial advisers working in his best interest and being smart on and off the field. Considering the average career of an NFL player lasts around four years and the majority of players don't earn superstar money long-term, Ball's success story resonated with the players.

"For very few people it stops when you want it to stop,'' Brown said. "You never see the end coming. You get cut, have a couple of tryouts, don't make a team, and the next thing you know you sat out the season and that season turns into two seasons. [The symposium] is one of the greatest things they could have done for guys who potentially have to make that decision [to leave school] early. It's a real-life scenario. It really brought to light the realities of the money and that world. That trap."

Soon after returning to campus, Henderson turned his focus to the start of spring camp. In the Gators' first three practices, Henderson has shown why he was invited to Indianapolis in the first place, displaying his lock-down coverage skills.

That part of the game comes natural. What Henderson experienced in Indianapolis created a new outlook and a unique memory for the Miami native.

"This is something you dream about, going to the NFL," Henderson said. "There's a lot behind the scenes."

Oh, and that part of the trip that seemed foreign.

"I saw snow for the first time," he said. "I thought it was going to be colder. It was flaky. I thought it would have been different. It was just shaved ice to me."