Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, who grew up outside New Orleans in Belle Chase, died this morning. He was 26. Henry attended West Virginia University, where he played under former Tulane and now Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez. He was drafted in the third round by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2005. His career has always been a bit overshadowed by off-the-field troubles, but teammates say the young player had recently turned his life around.
Henry died in the hospital one day after falling out of the back of a pickup truck after what's being described as a domestic dispute with his fiancee. From the AP:
Henry was rushed to the hospital Wednesday after being found on a residential road. Police said the dispute began at a home about a half-mile away, and Henry jumped into the bed of the pickup truck as his fiancee was driving away from the residence. Police said at some point when she was driving, Henry "came out of the back of the vehicle." They wouldn't identify the woman, and no charges were immediately filed.
Police spokeswoman Rosalyn Harrington said homicide detectives have been assigned to the case but had no further information. Police have not released the 911 tapes, and Harrington wouldn't say if the woman was present at the scene when police arrived.