FAYETTEVILLE — Last season Hayden Henry was described by Arkansas coach Sam Pittman as a throwback, old-school player.
Henry, a Little Rock native who played high school football at Pulaski Academy, is a bit wild-eyed and crazy, Pittman explained, but in a good way. He’s the kind of crazy or fearless that makes for a sturdy and reliable linebacker in the SEC.
"He is going to hit you and he's going to tell me about it," Pittman joked.
His brand of football has led to bone-crushing hits, tackles for loss, a forced fumble returned for a touchdown and even an injury to his own shoulder.
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It can be traced back to his father, Mark, an All-Southwest Conference offensive lineman who lettered for the Razorbacks from 1988-91, and time spent in Atlanta as a kid.
“As crazy as this sounds my dad would say, ‘Hey, if you make a kid cry today in practice or if you knock a kid out of practice or a game, I’ll take you to Dairy Queen,’” Henry said Tuesday on Day 5 of training camp. “I was like, ‘All right, let’s go.’ I would go out there and just try and knock somebody out.
“After practice I would go up to him and say, ‘Dad, I’m going to Dairy Queen! I’m going to Dairy Queen! I knocked somebody out today.’ I think that translated into my college play.”
Due to their productivity and big performances, seniors Grant Morgan and Bumper Pool receive the lion’s share of the notoriety in Arkansas’ linebackers room. Henry has proven to be a vital piece to the puzzle, too, and is expected to be again in 2021.
On the road against Auburn last season, Henry rose to the occasion and finished with four tackles and his first sack of the season, upending Tigers quarterback Bo Nix. In the Razorbacks’ home win over Ole Miss — which Pool missed due to injury — Henry recorded a career-high eight tackles, including two for lost yardage.
According to Pro Football Focus, his best defensive grade (78.8) came at Mississippi State and his best tackle grade was against Tennessee — both Arkansas victories.
“The game is meant to be played a certain way,” Henry said. “I appreciate individuals that play it that way. I think it’s a hard, fast, physical game, and I think there is only one way to do it.”
Henry has had two shoulder surgeries in his college career. The first was in 2018 and another came following the 2019 season.
He made it a point in the offseason to strengthen his upper body and get healthy again. If he stays off the injury report, Arkansas linebackers coach Michael Scherer will be thrilled.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Scherer echoed Pittman’s assessment of Henry from last October.
“He's really smart,” said Scherer, the first-year linebackers coach. “He's tough. He loves to hit people. If you watch him at practice, he's not far off from Bobby Boucher, he's just a little smarter.
“He's a really hard-working kid. He's a good kid.”
Henry announced Jan. 19 that he would return to Arkansas for another season, taking advantage of the NCAA exception that allows players in 2020 an extra year of eligibility.
“I love having him in our room," Scherer said. "He's going to be a really good player for us this year.”