Family business: Henry to be a Hog

Pulaski Academy tight end Hudson Henry gives the thumbs up after signing a national letter of intent to play for the University of Arkansas during the PA signing day on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock.

The Henry family and the University of Arkansas just seem to go together.

Hudson Henry, a 6-6 tight end who helped lead Pulaski Academy to four consecutive state championship game appearances, signed with the Razorbacks on Wednesday, becoming the latest Henry to align himself with the football program.

"I'm proud, first and foremost, just to be a Henry," said Hudson at a signing ceremony at the Little Rock prepatory school. "To carry on the family legacy, it's an amazing feeling to go after my grandpa, my dad, my two brothers. Getting to play after them and to wear that jersey across my chest will be amazing."

Hudson's father, Mark Henry, was a four-year letterman for the Razorbacks and a team captain in 1991. His oldest brother, Hunter Henry, is currently a tight end for the Los Angeles Chargers. His other brother, Hayden Henry, is a junior linebacker at Arkansas.

Hudson Henry's grandfather, Skip Coffman, played basketball for the Razorbacks.

"It really helped [Hudson] that his parents had been through this before and know how to narrow things down quickly and focus on how he needs to pick schools," Pulaski Academy Coach Kevin Kelley said. "Arkansas did a really nice job recruiting him when there were a lot of schools interested in him."

Hudson Henry said it came down to Arkansas and Stanford, but admitted that the Razorbacks had always been his favorite. Clemson, Alabama, Penn State, Wisconsin and Notre Dame were also among the programs that offered scholarships to Henry.

Henry racked up plenty of awards, earning first-team USA Today and MaxPreps All-American honors. He had the numbers to back up his honors, catching 94 passes for 1,309 yards and 14 touchdowns his senior season. For his career, Henry caught 195 passes for 2,611 yards and scored 30 touchdowns.

"It all started with him playing at an early age, gaining the skills, being a hard worker," Kelley said. "Hard work, dedication and some God-given ability are what got him to the point to where he had some choices."

Henry said he received some solid advice from all of the former and current Razorbacks in his family.

"They told me to always stay humble and to remember where I came from," Henry said. "They told me to work as hard as you can no matter what and to do whatever you need to do to succeed."

Kelley said Henry is the 26th player to sign a NCAA Division I scholarship in his 16 years with Pulaski Academy and that Henry is the seventh player from the Little Rock school to sign with the Razorbacks.

Bruins wide receiver John David White said he would walk on at Arkansas in the fall. White caught 86 passes for 1,732 yards while scoring 30 touchdowns during his senior season.

Also signing from Pulaski Academy on Wednesday were offensive lineman Wesley Coleman (Harding) and offensive lineman Luke Haws (Washington & Lee), while defensive end Garrett Pritchard will attend Hendrix.

Sports on 02/07/2019