NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Jason Henderson built himself into one of college football's best linebackers. Sunday, he announced he's walking away from the sport.
Henderson posted on Instagram that he's stepping away from the game after a frustrating rehab process that has lasted nearly two years.
"Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get to the point to where I can maintain playing at a competitive level again," Henderson said in his statement. "I have decided I am going to step away from being a football player. For the betterment of myself and future."
Henderson tore his ACL, MCL, MPFL and meniscus during the 2023 regular season finale against Georgia State. He went through a rehab process and was able to play in 2024's season opener at South Carolina, but ended up redshirting the remainder of the schedule. Once again, he worked to get healthy and back on the field during the offseason and seemed to feel good coming out of camp. The linebacker played last weekend at Indiana in the Monarchs' first game of 2025, but did not appear in Saturday's win over North Carolina Central at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
"I knew it was going to be a long road of recovery," he noted. "Almost two years now I have been trying to get to a point to where I can return to the football field and confidently give my all as I always do when I’m on that field. Through this process, I have tested my mental and physical strength to the max. I have done everything in my power to be as physically and mentally prepared to give it my all one last time."
2022 saw Henderson lead the country with 186 tackles and leading to All-Sun Belt First Team honors and a Second Team All-American nod. He followed that up with 170 tackles in 2023, leading the nation with 14.2 tackles per game and finishing third in the country with 1.6 tackles for loss per game. First Team All-Amerian and All-Sun Belt accolades were earned that campaign. The linebacker entered the year on a handful of national award watch lists, including the Walter Camp Award and Nagurski Award.
"Anyone who knows me understands I dedicated my life to football," Henderson continued. "The passion I have for football and love for the game are two things hopefully no [one] can question about me. I’m forever grateful for what football has given me. Football gave me a chance. Football taught me lessons. Football gave me a second family. Football will forever hold a huge part of me."
Henderson did not specify what comes next, but he leaves having established himself as one of the best in program history.
