It's been a long time since I've seen a player come through Florida State with as much potential and as much potential baggage as Malik Henry. The first name that comes to mind, unfortunately, is Fred Rouse.
I remember talking to a member of Florida State's coaching staff when Rouse was a superstar high school senior, and there already were major concerns about bringing him in as part of the Seminoles' 2005 signing class. There were questions about his character and his work ethic and whether he could be a productive and positive member of the football program. But at the same time, there was no denying his incredible talent. A different FSU staffer told me that Rouse's sophomore tape in high school was the best high school receiver highlights he had ever seen.
So the Seminoles were in a quandary: Do they sign a kid who has all-world talent but might be a ticking time bomb, or do they let him go somewhere else? The risk with Plan B, of course, is what if the guy turns his life around and lives up to his vast potential? And that concern was compounded by the fact that Rouse was a Tallahassee product. Could FSU really afford to pass on a local kid who might end up being the best receiver in college football? That could mean three or four years of embarrassment. In the end, they decided to take the risk.
It backfired. Rouse was in trouble less than two months into his freshman season, suspended for a game, and then was dismissed at the end of the season. He later would transfer to at least two different schools before seeing his pro career come to an abrupt end in the Canadian Football League. He was released for the final time in July 2014 without explanation.
Fast-forward 11 years, and the Seminoles faced a similar recruiting situation with Malik Henry.
I'll never forget when Henry came to FSU's summer camp following his sophomore year of high school and absolutely blew everyone away with his incredible arm talent. FSU had several highly touted juniors at that camp, and one of the high school coaches who was serving as a counselor told me there was no competition: "The sophomore from California is the best one out here. By far."
Henry would commit to FSU and Jimbo Fisher a few months later, and I honestly don't know if there were any major red flags about Henry at the time. But they certainly emerged over the next year or two. By the time Henry left his second California high school to enroll at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for his senior year, there were plenty of whispers. But the feeling around FSU was that Henry would benefit from being part of a highly structured program at IMG and learning from their head coach -- former Seminole Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke.
That plan unraveled quickly, however, when Weinke left to coach quarterbacks in the NFL. Soon after, Henry and IMG agreed to part ways. (While the school said publicly that it was a mutual decision, I was told by a well-placed source that Henry failed to meet the school's expectations for a student-athlete.) Henry then headed back to California and joined his fourth high school football program in four years.
At that point, I have to assume Jimbo Fisher was asking himself the same questions that Bobby Bowden's staff was asking themselves 11 years earlier. Is this going to be worth it? Is this guy so good that we can't afford the risk of him going somewhere else?
In the end, Fisher stuck by Henry and signed him as part of the 2016 class. I have not spoken to Fisher about this, but I'm sure he felt like FSU could surround Henry with the type of support structure that could help him get on track. Like most coaches, Fisher sees college football as a way for young men to make something of themselves -- even when they've gotten off to rough starts. We saw that with Kelvin Benjamin. We've seen it with countless others.
But sometimes, as was the case with Rouse, it doesn't take. And Henry's situation unfortunately feels very similar. His first suspension came even quicker than Rouse's -- the freshman quarterback was removed from the team for a month during preseason practice. And he is leaving the program in December, compared to Rouse's January.
While Henry is technically transferring, as opposed to being dismissed, I'm not entirely sure he had the option of coming back. Either way, I have no doubt another school will give him an opportunity. And I would think he deserves one. He certainly has the talent to make a success of his life.
Unfortunately, if you mess up enough, those doors begin to close for even the most gifted athletes.
Fred Rouse found that out the hard way. Here's hoping Malik Henry figures it out sooner.
I remember talking to a member of Florida State's coaching staff when Rouse was a superstar high school senior, and there already were major concerns about bringing him in as part of the Seminoles' 2005 signing class. There were questions about his character and his work ethic and whether he could be a productive and positive member of the football program. But at the same time, there was no denying his incredible talent. A different FSU staffer told me that Rouse's sophomore tape in high school was the best high school receiver highlights he had ever seen.
So the Seminoles were in a quandary: Do they sign a kid who has all-world talent but might be a ticking time bomb, or do they let him go somewhere else? The risk with Plan B, of course, is what if the guy turns his life around and lives up to his vast potential? And that concern was compounded by the fact that Rouse was a Tallahassee product. Could FSU really afford to pass on a local kid who might end up being the best receiver in college football? That could mean three or four years of embarrassment. In the end, they decided to take the risk.
It backfired. Rouse was in trouble less than two months into his freshman season, suspended for a game, and then was dismissed at the end of the season. He later would transfer to at least two different schools before seeing his pro career come to an abrupt end in the Canadian Football League. He was released for the final time in July 2014 without explanation.
Fast-forward 11 years, and the Seminoles faced a similar recruiting situation with Malik Henry.
I'll never forget when Henry came to FSU's summer camp following his sophomore year of high school and absolutely blew everyone away with his incredible arm talent. FSU had several highly touted juniors at that camp, and one of the high school coaches who was serving as a counselor told me there was no competition: "The sophomore from California is the best one out here. By far."
Henry would commit to FSU and Jimbo Fisher a few months later, and I honestly don't know if there were any major red flags about Henry at the time. But they certainly emerged over the next year or two. By the time Henry left his second California high school to enroll at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for his senior year, there were plenty of whispers. But the feeling around FSU was that Henry would benefit from being part of a highly structured program at IMG and learning from their head coach -- former Seminole Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke.
That plan unraveled quickly, however, when Weinke left to coach quarterbacks in the NFL. Soon after, Henry and IMG agreed to part ways. (While the school said publicly that it was a mutual decision, I was told by a well-placed source that Henry failed to meet the school's expectations for a student-athlete.) Henry then headed back to California and joined his fourth high school football program in four years.
At that point, I have to assume Jimbo Fisher was asking himself the same questions that Bobby Bowden's staff was asking themselves 11 years earlier. Is this going to be worth it? Is this guy so good that we can't afford the risk of him going somewhere else?
In the end, Fisher stuck by Henry and signed him as part of the 2016 class. I have not spoken to Fisher about this, but I'm sure he felt like FSU could surround Henry with the type of support structure that could help him get on track. Like most coaches, Fisher sees college football as a way for young men to make something of themselves -- even when they've gotten off to rough starts. We saw that with Kelvin Benjamin. We've seen it with countless others.
But sometimes, as was the case with Rouse, it doesn't take. And Henry's situation unfortunately feels very similar. His first suspension came even quicker than Rouse's -- the freshman quarterback was removed from the team for a month during preseason practice. And he is leaving the program in December, compared to Rouse's January.
While Henry is technically transferring, as opposed to being dismissed, I'm not entirely sure he had the option of coming back. Either way, I have no doubt another school will give him an opportunity. And I would think he deserves one. He certainly has the talent to make a success of his life.
Unfortunately, if you mess up enough, those doors begin to close for even the most gifted athletes.
Fred Rouse found that out the hard way. Here's hoping Malik Henry figures it out sooner.
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