Coach Henry building relationships, shaping offensive line

Outlook Staff Report

Offensive line coach Joseph Henry doesn’t veer from his philosophy of high expectations from his players. Somehow he gets that by meshing his demands with the intangibles.

All the time he finds a way to know every player and what makes them tick.

“I believe in relationships. I believe that you can’t push a player until you have a solid relationship with him,” Henry said. “I also believe in confronting anything that’s falling short of our standard. Our motto for this camp is that excellence is the standard, so we expect excellence and will correct and coach anything that falls short of that. 

Since the start of fall camp, Henry has spent plenty of time making the best of the talent on the team this season, blending transfers, returning players and freshmen.

“Some tangibles that I think we have to have on the offensive line – we’ve got to play big, so size is a real premium. We’re in the state of Florida, where we’ve got a lot of athletes, so I naturally have the opportunity to recruit and coach athletic offensive linemen. The intangibles I’m looking for – guys have to be able to learn and communicate. If they can learn the schemes and calls and have a high level of communication, then we’re able to operate as a unit and work as one. Communication and football intelligence are very important.” 

So far, Henry’s unit has been able to respond to queries about how will the offensive line replace stalwarts like two-time All-American Keenan Forbes or All-SWAC honoree Jay Jackson-Williams. 

Then there is the concern about how the Rattlers will continue to build on last season’s success.

The Rattlers led the Southwestern Athletic Conference in fewest sacks allowed while ranking third in scoring and fourth in total offense. When analyzing these numbers, the offensive line shares the credit. Guys like Forbes, Jackson-Williams, and returners Cameron Covin, Bryan Crawford, and TJ Lee have all contributed.

 The line lists six newcomers – three true freshmen and three transfers.  Henry is in his second stint with the Rattlers, this time as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach after spending time in the Southeastern Conference at Louisiana State University, the University of Arkansas, and the University of Missouri.

Returning to FAMU where he has history, wasn’t a difficult decision, said Henry.

“It’s based on relationships, that is, my relationship with coach (Willie) Simmons,” Henry said. “We go back a long way. We’ve worked together for a long time before, and it was a no-brainer, an easy decision. Plus, it gave me an opportunity to advance my career with the coordinator title. It’s something I’ve strived for, I set a goal for myself, and he gave me the opportunity to realize that goal.

“As far as how it’s gone, this program is in significantly better shape than when I last left – the talent, the investment that has been put into the program. The staff size is bigger. The administration has really put an emphasis on the value of the football program. These are all things that are night and day differences from when I left in 2019.”

 With several players available for almost every position, Henry likes the depth and the competition. Right in the mix are the newcomers, especially freshmen.

“Our (veteran) players have done a great job of including these guys; most of them got here in the summertime,” Henry said. “The program, as a whole, does a great job of engulfing these guys and dunking them head first into the culture. They’ve done a really good job of following the leadership, picking up the things we do and how we operate. They are integrated fully into the program even at this early stage of fall camp.

As expected the unit is lead by veterans like Covin, Crawford, and Lee. 

“Those guys have a wealth of knowledge. They are true veterans,” Henry said. “Even though TJ (Lee) is young, he’s played a lot of snaps of college football last season. They’ve done a really good job of getting with the younger guys, getting with the new guys, and spending extra time working with them. Their wisdom and knowledge of the game and this offensive system are invaluable. They are leading the way for us as the trailblazers of our group.”

FAMU’s sports information office contributed to this report.