Before the Pro Bowl rosters were announced, E.J. Henderson figured he’d already proved a point.
“Even to be talked about,” he told Minnesota reporters, “that means I’m making some progress and on the way up.”
He’ll have to settle for that now, after being named a second alternate at middle linebacker. But the Minnesota Viking, and ex-Maryland Terp, certainly has shown that he’s at home in the middle.
He returned to the spot he manned in college after spending the past two seasons on the weakside. But a healthy Chad Greenway could only play outside, leaving Henderson to return inside, filling a void when Napoleon Harris left.
Playing for the NFL’s top run defense — and behind two Pro Bowl tackles — Henderson has 98 tackles and 3 sacks. He’s also forced three fumbles and recovered two others. Last season, Henderson recorded 142 tackles.
“In my mind, [he’s played] as a Pro Bowler,” Vikings coach Brad Childress said. “I was surprised that he didn’t get any recognition. He’s been extremely active.”
The 6-foot-1, 245-pound Henderson, in his fifth season, has been a regular starter since his second season in Minnesota.
“He has a great see-to-do in terms of innate abilities,” Childress said. “It was just a matter of communicating the defense. He embraced that; he’s a very good communicator.”
