When Amari Henderson isn’t watching film, he might very well be taking mental photographs.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive halfback knows that every experience as a professional football player is something to be savoured.
“Every single day is a blessing, so I’m grateful for it,” the second-year CFLer says.
“It’s a blessing just to get an opportunity to be on the field. I know people who wish they were in my shoes, so I’ve got to take advantage of every single day.”
That has been his approach since Jan. 20, 2022, when he signed with Saskatchewan after spending time in the NFL.
After going undrafted, the former Wake Forest standout signed with Jacksonville and spent part of the 2020 season on the Jaguars’ practice roster. He also tried out for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021.
“Just to get that opportunity, I tried to take advantage of it every single day, just being in the locker room and being in the meeting room,” Henderson recalls.
“I remember a coach told me that ‘these chairs in the meeting rooms have got money in them,’ so if you’re able to just be in those chairs, you’re grateful.”
After Henderson was waived by the Vikings on Aug. 17, 2021, the CFL became an option.
“I got a call from my agent and he said there was interest coming from the Riders,” he says. “I just decided to come up here and that’s pretty much what happened.”
Before making the trek to Canada, Henderson reached out to people who were well-positioned to offer insights into three-down football. His cousin (Jamal Davis II) and best friend (Nafees Lyon) are both members of the Montreal Alouettes.
“They were pretty much just telling me that you get an opportunity to still play ball, so I took that and ran with it,” says Henderson, 25.
“They were giving me the inside game as far as how the CFL goes and they pretty much won me over.”
The family’s athletic genes extend beyond Henderson and Davis II.
Henderson’s cousin, C.J. McCollum, played for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers for nine years before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 8, 2022. He has averaged more than 20 points per game in each of the past eight seasons.
“He’s a pretty close cousin,” Henderson says. “Obviously, he has his business as far as the NBA, so he’s pretty busy. Every now and then, we get on FaceTime, and we might talk every now and then.
“He’s a laid-back guy. He’s cool, he’s a hard worker, and he’s a fun guy to be around. He’s my cousin and he’s family, so I enjoy being around family.”
Henderson isn’t the only member of the 2023 Roughriders with a tie to the NBA.
George Patterson — the late grandfather of quarterback Shea Patterson — spent the 1967-68 season with the Detroit Pistons.
“That’s pretty cool,” Henderson says with a smile.
Although Henderson made his CFL debut against Montreal in Week 4 of the 2022 season, his football-playing cousin was not a member of the opposing team on that occasion.
Davis, who was introduced to the CFL and the Alouettes in 2021, attended the Los Angeles Chargers’ training camp last year before returning to Montreal in mid-September. Lyon did not join the Alouettes until Aug. 31, when he was acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Elks.
By then, Henderson was in the midst of a season in which he would spend 11 games with the Roughriders. He has also started for Saskatchewan in all five of its games this season.
“He’s a good player,” Head Coach Craig Dickenson says. “This is his second year and he’s taking that second-year jump. He has been one of our best DBs, for sure.”
As evidence to that effect, Henderson and cornerback Nic Marshall are tied for the team lead in pass knockdowns (three).
“I’m really deep-diving in film,” Henderson says, “and, having that year under my belt, things have really started to slow down for me in my second season.”
That is especially true in terms of adjusting to the running start that the CFL’s inside receivers are able to enjoy before the ball is snapped.
“I think it takes time,” Henderson says. “Back home, it’s completely different than how it is out here. The game is different as well, especially with the waggle. That’s a big thing as far as being a DB and going against the receivers.
“So it has been different, but I’m slowly and continuously getting adjusted and adapted pretty well.”
