Three months ago, former University of Michigan offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson was celebrating with his teammates at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, after they defeated the Washington Huskies 34-13 in the 2024 College Football National Championship Game.
He also cherished the fact that he could do it in front of some of his friends and family who had watched him play at Waxahachie High School, located near Dallas, Texas.
At the time, Henderson seemed happy to have helped his team go undefeated and win it all for his former head coach, Jim Harbaugh, who departed from Michigan to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Little did he know that the field he celebrated on would become his new NFL home.
Henderson, 23, was selected by the Houston Texans in the seventh round (249) of the 2024 NFL Draft. General manager Nick Caserio believes that Henderson’s versatility in playing guard and tackle positions makes him a valuable asset for the team.
“He (Henderson) has experience maybe more inside than outside,” said Caserio during his press conference after Day 3 of the draft. “He was at Arizona State, played some guard. He is probably a little bit different than Blake [Fisher]. When you look at them physically, they’re a little bit different, even though they might be similar.
“We’ll see how it goes. We think Henderson can probably play inside, with the ability to bump out the tackle, like we talked about a little bit, tackle-centric and tackle-focused. We’ll see how it goes in the course of the spring, and then once we get in training camp, for sure.”
Although he garnered First-Team All-Big 10 honors in 2023, football was not on Henderson’s radar until he transferred to Waxahachie High School during his sophomore year. He had watched the game and knew what it entailed, but he had never put on a uniform, nor did he have the desire to until he was talked into it by one of the team’s assistant coaches.
That encounter brought Henderson to the field, but his unwavering love for the game and his relentless determination to overcome the challenge of being so far behind his teammates, who had played football for most of their lives, inspired him to develop into a three-star prospect by the end of his senior season.
He was offered an athletic scholarship to play at Arizona State University and accepted it. By the time he transferred from the Sun Devils program to Michigan, he had started 29 out of the 33 games he had played and was named a team captain in his final season. During the 2021 season, he earned Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention.
One of the main components that has helped Henderson throughout his journey to the NFL has been his strong Christian morals and beliefs. In high school, he attended and participated in many youth church functions with his former head coach, Jon Kitna, who played in the NFL for 14 years at quarterback. He continued to build on his faith once he got to Arizona State by starting a bible study and prayer group.
As Henderson prepares to take some first-team reps this season potentially, Houston Texans fans can rest assured. His experience in protecting high-profile quarterbacks, from 2023 Heisman Trophy Winner Jayden Daniels, who he protected at Arizona State before he transferred to LSU, to J.J. McCarthy, who helped lead Michigan to the National Championship, speaks volumes about his ability to understand the importance of protecting franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud.