Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens and Chris Henry Jr. had a full circle moment at the Elite Week event in Texas on Thursday. It turns out that Henry models his game after Pickens. It’s something that Pickens is honored by, as some of his game was modeled after Henry’s dad, the late Chris Henry Sr.
“That feel good, to me personally. For like the specific person being him, ’cause I used to watch his pops at West Virginia. Like hella long ago, like you would have to actually be knowing about football to know about his pops,” Pickens said, via OT7 on Instagram. “So for him to model his game after me, I respect it a lot. I kind of model my game after his pops. That’s what’s kinda crazy.”
Prospect Chris Henry Jr says he models his game after George Pickens.
Which then George Pickens reveals some of his game was modeled after his father Chris Henry.
Full circle moment. pic.twitter.com/ikAyGFedse
— Baku 🐧 (@Mazursky8895) July 11, 2024
George Pickens was born in 2001, so he must have a really good memory to recall Henry’s career at West Virginia. Henry’s last season as a Mountaineer was in 2004. Henry was the third player in Mountaineers’ history to average more than 20 yards per catch for his career. Henry’s 1,878 career receiving yards is eighth-most in school history, while his 93 receptions are the 14th-most.
Henry played five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, recording 119 receptions for 1,826 yards and 21 touchdowns. Fifteen of those touchdowns came in his first two years in Cincinnati.
Henry tragically passed away on December 16, 2009, after sustaining injuries when he fell out of the back of a moving truck driven by his fiancée, Loleini Tonga, while they were engaged in a domestic dispute.
Henry’s former teammate at West Virginia and Cincinnati, Adam “PacMan” Jones, adopted both of his sons, Chris Jr. and DeMarcus.
Chris Henry Jr, who transferred to Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei High School, is one of the top prospects in the class of 2026. He is the No. 1 wide receiver and one of only nine five-star recruits in the 2026 cycle, according to ESPN. In July of 2023, he committed to Ohio State.
“I think everybody in his life wants to see Chris Henry Jr. play on Sundays,” Mater Dei wide receivers coach James Griffin told Eli Lederman of ESPN. “The kid has everything — he’s just like his dad. He’s working his butt off to be elite like that every day.”
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