How transfer lineman Evan Henry plans to lead Jackson State football to more championships

J.T. Keith, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read
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The 2022 Jackson State football team went 12-1 and played in Cricket Celebration Bowl for the Black national championship. The Tigers lost to North Carolina Central 41-34 in overtime and finished the season ranked No. 11 in the FCS coaches poll.

JSU produced the best offense in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2022, averaging 37.69 points per game and totaling 5,791 yards and 64 touchdowns. The Tigers rushed for 1,926 yards and 17 TDs and passed for 3,865 yards with 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

As a new season begins, the Tigers look to replicate those results. The first step begins with the offensive line, where the Tigers must replace All-SWAC and All-American performer Tyler Brown, who transferred to Colorado.

One of the players looking to become the leader of the offensive line is Evan Henry, a 6-foot-4, 310-pound transfer from the University of Louisiana Monroe where he earned All-Sun Belt honorable mention.

Henry said he would give the offensive line a C grade for its first practice. The main thing the line must do this spring is establish chemistry, which is built over time through spring and summer practices.

By the time the season starts, Henry expects the offensive line to know what the other man next to him is doing before he does it.

“We are Jackson State,” Henry stated. “It is time to start on the path for the third SWAC championship. We strap our cleats on every day. We are ready to work, this is a championship mentality and a championship team. The coaches teach championships and we are here to dominate.”

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Henry knows the coaches and what the O-line can do, and that the offense starts with him and his line teammates providing protection for the quarterback and opening holes for the backs to run through.

“We are here for a reason -- to play football," Henry said. "Guys graduate and we have new guys come here to play- but we have to do our jobs. They understand that we are Jackson State and we are here to win championships and that means rings.”

Jackson State plays its annual Blue and White game at 3 p.m. April 15 at Mississippi Veteran Memorial Stadium.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Jackson State football's success starts along its offensive line