Henderson earning place in CCU lore

When the Coastal Carolina football program signed running back De’Angelo Henderson as a recruit out of Summerville back in 2011, there was a sense that the Chanticleers had gotten a steal of sorts.

The Chants’ previous coaching staff didn’t plan to take a running back in that particular recruiting class, but surprised that Henderson hadn’t been scooped up by South Carolina or Clemson, they simply couldn’t resist.

And getting the overlooked 5-foot-8 playmaker into teal only looks like more and more of a coup with each passing game and milestone.

Henderson rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 44 yards in No. 1/3-ranked Coastal Carolina’s 41-14 win at South Carolina State on Saturday night, and in the process he passed Aundres Perkins for the Chants’ career rushing record.

Just two games into his second full season as a starter, Henderson pushed his career total to 2,364 rushing yards to break the nine-year-old record of 2,343 – which he’s had his eyes on from the moment he arrived on campus.

“My goal coming in – and we’ve had some phenomenal players in this university and I’m blessed to be here – but my goal was to be the best running back to ever come here,” he said after the game. “And statistically I’m trying to do that, personality-wise I’m trying to do that. I’m trying to be a great teammate and I’m trying to lead on and off the field. I’m just trying to be the best.”

Already with that career record and nearly two full seasons of eligibility remaining, he’s well on his way.

And looking to top his breakout sophomore season – which included 1,534 rushing yards, 289 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns – he’s off to a good start with that as well.

Through two games, Henderson ranks seventh at the FCS level with 231 rushing yards, and if he had played the whole second half Saturday night he might well be first. In terms of all-purpose yards, meanwhile, he ranks second nationally with 404 – just 21 off the lead.

“I’m just glad he’s on our team and I don’t have to try to tackle him because he would make me look like an idiot in the open field,” Coastal Carolina senior defensive end Calvin Hollenhorst said after the win Saturday night. “That kid is something special. His vision and his cuts are unreal. It gets the whole team fired up watching him run the ball.”

Said senior quarterback Alex Ross: “You can see what makes him so special – when he has the ball in his hands he makes plays.”

What has also helped make “Hop” Henderson so special is the drive and motivation he carries into every game, every play.

Because he certainly hasn’t forgotten the programs who passed him over in recruiting way back when on the determination that he was too small.

“I think about that every day,” he said. “I’ve got a reminder back in my room not to lose focus on everybody overlooking me. So I always play with that chip on my shoulder that bigger schools overlooked me, but Coastal Carolina gave me an opportunity and I’m going to take advantage of it. I’m definitely happy with where I’m at, and never question God’s will, never question him. I’m supposed to be here. I’m blessed to be here. I’m thankful for it.”

Despite signing with the Chants in 2011, Henderson had to take a grayshirt year while waiting for an issue with his NCAA eligibility to be cleared. He then kept that motivation burning through a redshirt year in 2012 before finally getting a chance to play in 2013 and taking over as the starter last year.

And despite all he has accomplished since, he still hangs onto all the recruiting letters from his time as a state-wide star at Summerville High School.

“I’ve got them all at home, and every time I go home I look at it just to remind me to keep pushing because some people didn’t believe in me and I go out to prove them wrong every day,” he said.

The thought creeps into conversations now and then, be it a passing comment in the press box by someone from another school suggesting Henderson might be the best running back in the state, or Coastal Carolina fans tweeting their appreciation that the state’s big FBS schools didn’t sign him.

Chants offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude weighed in on that notion.

“He’s got great lateral quickness, he’s really grown in his understanding, he’s become a much more proficient catcher of the football,” Patenaude said. “You know, it’s hard to translate that over, until he would be out there at S.C. or Clemson running around you never can tell. They have a lot of great athletes that would be able to do a lot of the same stuff that he has, but he’s been about as good as you could possibly be for us. ...

“He’s really become a complete back in that he’s not just a dance-around guy anymore. You can move him around and he’s got that power game added [now]. We’re really lucky to have him.”

That is really all that matters at this point and Coastal Carolina head coach Joe Moglia underscored that point as well.

“I think Hop certainly has the ability as an athlete to be able to play anywhere in the country. I think Hop’s got the ability to be able to play at the next level,” Moglia said. “So I’m delighted he’s here. And I have zero thought whether we had a steal or didn’t have a steal. He plays for us at Coastal Carolina and I couldn’t be prouder of that.”

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Henderson earning place in CCU lore."