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Cretin-Derham Hall's Seantrel Henderson has a weighty decision to make next year
Cretin-Derham Hall tackle Seantrel Henderson is the No. 1 football recruit in the nation and has top colleges from coast to coast wanting his services.
By Ray Richardson
Updated: 05/02/2009 08:41:10 PM CDT
Seantrel Henderson finished up an important science class project Thursday morning to make sure the rest of his day was free for other important matters.
The massive offensive tackle at Cretin-Derham Hall had another bundle of mail to pick up from the office of Raiders football coach Mike Scanlan. Nearly every NCAA Division I college is trying to keep Henderson's attention with some sort of sales pitch or promotional material.
"Nobody has trouble finding my mail box," Scanlan said. "It's the one that's always filled to the max. Most of the stuff is for Seantrel."
Henderson adds the latest batch to a large box already overflowing with college correspondence. He then begins a brisk, 30-minute workout in the Cretin-Derham Hall fitness center. The workout has to be quick. Henderson needs to be at Mancini's Char House restaurant by 4 p.m. to punch in for his part-time job as a bus boy.
When Henderson returns to his South Minneapolis home at about 10:30 p.m., he has to pack for a 6 a.m. departure the next morning for a weekend trip to Lawrence, Kan., where he is playing in a basketball tournament with the Howard Pulley 17-under traveling team.
At 17, Henderson — the nation's top-rated football recruit for the class of 2010 — is getting an early education on time management.
"I know it's tough on him sometimes with everything going on, but he's handling the situation in a positive way," Henderson's mother, Zora Jasper, said of her son. "We're doing what we can to keep him on the right track and keep his grades up."
Henderson's support network is expected to be kept busy the rest of the year and the first five or six weeks in 2010. The 6-foot-8, 315-pound junior has been tabbed as the No. 1 overall recruit for next season by Rivals.com, a leading national scouting service for high school football.
Henderson is the first offensive lineman to earn Rivals' No. 1 ranking. The company, formed in 1998, generally has given its No. 1 ranking to quarterbacks, running backs or wide receivers.
"Being No. 1 means a lot to me, but I don't pay much attention to it," Henderson said. "I see myself as any other guy who's trying to go to college. I want to be like them."
Henderson's attempt to be a regular guy might be difficult. He joins an impressive group of No. 1 recruits who likely will raise his profile even further.
Percy Harvin, the Vikings' first-round pick in last weekend's NFL draft, was Rivals' No. 1 recruit in 2006. Harvin was a standout wide receiver at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, Va., before choosing to play at the University of Florida.
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who starred at Oklahoma, was the No. 1 recruit for Rivals in 2004 during his senior year at Palestine (Texas) High School.
Twins catcher Joe Mauer is the only other Minnesota high school athlete to earn Rivals' No. 1 ranking. He was the nation's top recruit in 2000 when he starred at quarterback for Cretin-Derham Hall.
Rivals will update its top 100 list next week, but Henderson is expected to remain at No. 1.
"The only way for Seantrel to lose that No. 1 spot is if he decides to not play football," said Barry Every, a national recruiting analyst for Rivals based in Athens, Ga. "We haven't seen anybody better to make a change. He's definitely a five-star player who will make a major impact in college."
A five-star rating from Rivals means a player has legitimate pro potential. Four of the past eight No. 1 recruits for Rivals made it to the NFL, including Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young and former Penn State wide receiver Derrick Williams, a third-round pick last month of the Detroit Lions.
A RECRUITING TARGET
Henderson's size and athletic ability have made him a recruiting target since his freshman year at Cretin-Derham Hall. An assistant for former University of Minnesota coach Glen Mason saw Henderson during a visit to Cretin and offered him a scholarship. Henderson had yet to play his first varsity season.
The offers and communication have piled up since then. Henderson said he has received scholarship offers from at least 30 schools. The volume of mail arriving at the school and the family's home prompted Henderson's father, Sean, to purchase two file cabinets for storage. Sean Henderson has filed the mail in alphabetical order to help keep track of the schools.
As the mail accumulates, so do the questions and speculation about Henderson's college choice.
"At times it gets irritating, but I know this is something I have to go through," Henderson said. "I won't make my announcement until February."
The first day football recruits in the 2010 class can sign a national letter of intent is Feb. 3, but players can give oral commitments before that date.
In the meantime, Henderson and his family have set up a tentative game plan to help manage the process. By the end of the summer, Henderson will settle on a top 10. After he takes his maximum five official visits in the fall, he will trim the number to three.
Mauer has been through it all, too. His only advice: enjoy your senior year because it only comes once.
"Sometimes you can lose sight of the fact you're a high school student, with all of the attention people put on you," Mauer said. "It can be hard to manage, but he's around some great coaches and great people there, so I'm sure they'll help him with it."
Henderson is getting a better understanding of what it means to be the nation's top football recruit. Two weeks ago, University of Southern California coach Pete Carroll called Scanlan to offer Henderson a scholarship and invite him to one of the Trojans' camps this summer.
The call from Carroll impressed Henderson.
"I am interested in USC," said Henderson, who wants to major in communications or business. "It felt good to get a call from them. I didn't think they would come through. They told me a lot about how their process works."
USC is among the schools Henderson and his parents would like to make an unofficial visit to this summer. The list also includes Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma, Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame. Each of those schools has offered a scholarship.
Unofficial visits do not count against the five official visits allowed by NCAA rules. Minnesota still has him high on its list.
"The things I find out this summer will be important for me," Henderson said. "That's why I'm trying to get as much done as I can to help make decisions. I haven't cut my list down or anything like that."
NO TIME FOR LEISURE
Beyond the unofficial visits, Henderson will not have much leisure time this summer. After school ends June 1, he starts a warehouse job with Home Depot in Woodbury and a conditioning program three days a week run by Cretin-Derham Hall offensive line coach Ray Hitchcock. There also are out-of-town tournaments with the Howard Pulley basketball team.
Henderson said he's not ready to give up basketball, despite his stature as the nation's No. 1 football recruit. He has given Hitchcock his word that he will be diligent with his conditioning and weightlifting program.
"He's got the world at his feet, but he understands what he needs to do this summer," Hitchcock said of Henderson. "He's made a lot of strides with his offseason work."
The best part of the summer for Henderson might be the "no contact" period. College coaches cannot initiate communication with him until Sept. 1. He'll get a break from the recruiting pressure, but the No. 1 tag will follow him throughout the summer and into next season.
"I know that's a lot to live up to," Henderson said of his ranking, "but I'm up for the challenge."
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_12281468
Go Gophers!!
Cretin-Derham Hall tackle Seantrel Henderson is the No. 1 football recruit in the nation and has top colleges from coast to coast wanting his services.
By Ray Richardson
Updated: 05/02/2009 08:41:10 PM CDT
Seantrel Henderson finished up an important science class project Thursday morning to make sure the rest of his day was free for other important matters.
The massive offensive tackle at Cretin-Derham Hall had another bundle of mail to pick up from the office of Raiders football coach Mike Scanlan. Nearly every NCAA Division I college is trying to keep Henderson's attention with some sort of sales pitch or promotional material.
"Nobody has trouble finding my mail box," Scanlan said. "It's the one that's always filled to the max. Most of the stuff is for Seantrel."
Henderson adds the latest batch to a large box already overflowing with college correspondence. He then begins a brisk, 30-minute workout in the Cretin-Derham Hall fitness center. The workout has to be quick. Henderson needs to be at Mancini's Char House restaurant by 4 p.m. to punch in for his part-time job as a bus boy.
When Henderson returns to his South Minneapolis home at about 10:30 p.m., he has to pack for a 6 a.m. departure the next morning for a weekend trip to Lawrence, Kan., where he is playing in a basketball tournament with the Howard Pulley 17-under traveling team.
At 17, Henderson — the nation's top-rated football recruit for the class of 2010 — is getting an early education on time management.
"I know it's tough on him sometimes with everything going on, but he's handling the situation in a positive way," Henderson's mother, Zora Jasper, said of her son. "We're doing what we can to keep him on the right track and keep his grades up."
Henderson's support network is expected to be kept busy the rest of the year and the first five or six weeks in 2010. The 6-foot-8, 315-pound junior has been tabbed as the No. 1 overall recruit for next season by Rivals.com, a leading national scouting service for high school football.
Henderson is the first offensive lineman to earn Rivals' No. 1 ranking. The company, formed in 1998, generally has given its No. 1 ranking to quarterbacks, running backs or wide receivers.
"Being No. 1 means a lot to me, but I don't pay much attention to it," Henderson said. "I see myself as any other guy who's trying to go to college. I want to be like them."
Henderson's attempt to be a regular guy might be difficult. He joins an impressive group of No. 1 recruits who likely will raise his profile even further.
Percy Harvin, the Vikings' first-round pick in last weekend's NFL draft, was Rivals' No. 1 recruit in 2006. Harvin was a standout wide receiver at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, Va., before choosing to play at the University of Florida.
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who starred at Oklahoma, was the No. 1 recruit for Rivals in 2004 during his senior year at Palestine (Texas) High School.
Twins catcher Joe Mauer is the only other Minnesota high school athlete to earn Rivals' No. 1 ranking. He was the nation's top recruit in 2000 when he starred at quarterback for Cretin-Derham Hall.
Rivals will update its top 100 list next week, but Henderson is expected to remain at No. 1.
"The only way for Seantrel to lose that No. 1 spot is if he decides to not play football," said Barry Every, a national recruiting analyst for Rivals based in Athens, Ga. "We haven't seen anybody better to make a change. He's definitely a five-star player who will make a major impact in college."
A five-star rating from Rivals means a player has legitimate pro potential. Four of the past eight No. 1 recruits for Rivals made it to the NFL, including Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young and former Penn State wide receiver Derrick Williams, a third-round pick last month of the Detroit Lions.
A RECRUITING TARGET
Henderson's size and athletic ability have made him a recruiting target since his freshman year at Cretin-Derham Hall. An assistant for former University of Minnesota coach Glen Mason saw Henderson during a visit to Cretin and offered him a scholarship. Henderson had yet to play his first varsity season.
The offers and communication have piled up since then. Henderson said he has received scholarship offers from at least 30 schools. The volume of mail arriving at the school and the family's home prompted Henderson's father, Sean, to purchase two file cabinets for storage. Sean Henderson has filed the mail in alphabetical order to help keep track of the schools.
As the mail accumulates, so do the questions and speculation about Henderson's college choice.
"At times it gets irritating, but I know this is something I have to go through," Henderson said. "I won't make my announcement until February."
The first day football recruits in the 2010 class can sign a national letter of intent is Feb. 3, but players can give oral commitments before that date.
In the meantime, Henderson and his family have set up a tentative game plan to help manage the process. By the end of the summer, Henderson will settle on a top 10. After he takes his maximum five official visits in the fall, he will trim the number to three.
Mauer has been through it all, too. His only advice: enjoy your senior year because it only comes once.
"Sometimes you can lose sight of the fact you're a high school student, with all of the attention people put on you," Mauer said. "It can be hard to manage, but he's around some great coaches and great people there, so I'm sure they'll help him with it."
Henderson is getting a better understanding of what it means to be the nation's top football recruit. Two weeks ago, University of Southern California coach Pete Carroll called Scanlan to offer Henderson a scholarship and invite him to one of the Trojans' camps this summer.
The call from Carroll impressed Henderson.
"I am interested in USC," said Henderson, who wants to major in communications or business. "It felt good to get a call from them. I didn't think they would come through. They told me a lot about how their process works."
USC is among the schools Henderson and his parents would like to make an unofficial visit to this summer. The list also includes Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma, Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame. Each of those schools has offered a scholarship.
Unofficial visits do not count against the five official visits allowed by NCAA rules. Minnesota still has him high on its list.
"The things I find out this summer will be important for me," Henderson said. "That's why I'm trying to get as much done as I can to help make decisions. I haven't cut my list down or anything like that."
NO TIME FOR LEISURE
Beyond the unofficial visits, Henderson will not have much leisure time this summer. After school ends June 1, he starts a warehouse job with Home Depot in Woodbury and a conditioning program three days a week run by Cretin-Derham Hall offensive line coach Ray Hitchcock. There also are out-of-town tournaments with the Howard Pulley basketball team.
Henderson said he's not ready to give up basketball, despite his stature as the nation's No. 1 football recruit. He has given Hitchcock his word that he will be diligent with his conditioning and weightlifting program.
"He's got the world at his feet, but he understands what he needs to do this summer," Hitchcock said of Henderson. "He's made a lot of strides with his offseason work."
The best part of the summer for Henderson might be the "no contact" period. College coaches cannot initiate communication with him until Sept. 1. He'll get a break from the recruiting pressure, but the No. 1 tag will follow him throughout the summer and into next season.
"I know that's a lot to live up to," Henderson said of his ranking, "but I'm up for the challenge."
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_12281468
Go Gophers!!
