Eric Henderson

Eric Charles Henderson (born January 8, 1983) is a former American football defensive end. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Georgia Tech.

While playing for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Henderson set a Georgia Tech record with 59.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL), and he ranks fourth in school history in sacks (25). He had a breakout sophomore season in 2003, starting all 13 games and earning first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors with 11 sacks and 24 TFL. He earned second-team All-ACC nods as both a junior and a senior. As a senior he led the team with six sacks, despite missing four games with an ankle injury, and caused four fumbles on those sacks. He helped the Tech defense rank in the Top 25 nationally in seven categories in 2005, and he was a key performer as Tech upset No. 3 Miami Hurricanes football team, holding the Hurricanes to 30 yards rushing. In his first game back from his ankle injury in 2005, he played a key role in a 10-9 win over Clemson and was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for the third time in his career. He played four seasons at Tech (2002–05), with a redshirt year in 2001. On January 21, 2006, he played in East-West Shrine Game in San Antonio, Texas.

Pre-draft

Eric Henderson measure 6-1⅞ and 270 pounds and bench-pressed 225 pound 30 times and ran a 4.73 forty-yard dash. He has a 430-pound bench press and a 32-inch vertical leap to his credit.

Cincinnati Bengals

Henderson missed seven games with injuries over his final two seasons at Georgia Tech, hurting his chances of being drafted, but he signed with the Bengals on May 9, 2006 as college free agent. He was waived on September 2, 2006 and then signed September 4 to the Bengals practice squad where he spent the full season.

Henderson played in all four preseason games in 2006, recording five total tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Henderson did not earn an accrued year of experience toward NFL free agency in 2006 because he was not on an NFL 53-player roster, a Reserve/Injured list, or a Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list for the required minimum of six games. On January 2, 2007, he was signed to Bengals offseason roster.

Henderson spent the first seven weeks if the 2008 season on the Bengals' practice squad. He was signed to the active roster on October 24 after fullback Reagan Maui'a was placed on injured reserve. On December 10, Henderson was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a neck injury. He finished the 2008 season with two tackles in two games.

The Bengals released Henderson on April 27, 2009.