Devery Henderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Devery Henderson

Henderson at the Saints Super Bowl XLIV victory parade in New Orleans
No. 19
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1982-03-26) March 26, 1982 (age 43) Opelousas, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:	Opelousas
College:	LSU
NFL Draft:	2004 / Round: 2 / Pick: 50
Career history
New Orleans Saints (2004–2012) Washington Redskins (2013)*
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLIV) New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame BCS national champion (2003) First-team All-SEC (2003)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 245 Receiving yards: 4,377 Receiving average: 17.9 Receiving touchdowns: 20 Rushing yards: 119 Rushing touchdowns: 1
Player stats at PFR

Devery Vaughn Henderson Jr. (born March 26, 1982) is a former American football player. He played as a wide receiver for nine seasons. Most of his career was with the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL).

Devery grew up in Louisiana and played for the LSU Tigers in college. His team won the national championship in 2003. The Saints then chose him in the 2004 NFL draft. He was a key part of the Saints team that won Super Bowl XLIV in 2009. They defeated the Indianapolis Colts in that championship game.

Early Life and School Years

Devery Henderson grew up in Opelousas, Louisiana. He went to Opelousas High School. There, he was a talented athlete. He was especially good on the school's track team. He later received scholarships for both track and football to attend Louisiana State University (LSU).

College Football Career

Devery had many great moments playing for LSU. One of the most famous plays was on November 9, 2002. It was called the "Bluegrass Miracle". Devery caught a long pass from Marcus Randall. This helped LSU beat the Kentucky Wildcats 33–30. This play was so amazing that it won an ESPY award for "Best Play" the next year. Devery accepted the award for the LSU Tigers.

In 2002, Devery caught 23 passes for 447 yards. He also scored eight touchdowns. He became known for catching long passes. In 2003, his senior year, LSU won the BCS National Championship. That year, he was named to the All-SEC Second-team. He had 53 catches for 861 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Devery was also a very fast track star at LSU. He was part of LSU's national champion track team. He was also on the team that qualified for the NCAA 4 × 100 meters relay race. In 2001, he was part of LSU's National Champion Indoor Track and Field team. He ran the second-fastest 60-meter race in LSU history.

Professional Football Career

Playing for the New Orleans Saints

Henderson with the New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints picked Devery Henderson in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft. He was the 50th player chosen overall.

After his first year, the Saints got a new coach, Sean Payton, and a new quarterback, Drew Brees. This helped Devery's performance a lot. In the 2006 season, his stats improved. He caught more passes and gained more yards. He also scored more touchdowns.

On November 5, 2006, Devery had a great game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He caught three passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Later that month, he had 158 receiving yards against the Atlanta Falcons. This included a 76-yard touchdown catch. On December 10, 2006, he helped the Saints beat the Dallas Cowboys 42–17. He caught two passes for 92 yards and one touchdown.

In 2009, Devery signed a new contract with the Saints. That year, the Saints made it to the Super Bowl. Devery caught seven passes for 63 yards in Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints won the game against the Indianapolis Colts. This was a huge win for the team and the city.

On September 18, 2011, Devery caught a touchdown pass for 79 yards. On October 8, 2012, he caught another touchdown pass from Drew Brees. This pass helped Brees break Johnny Unitas's record. Unitas had thrown a touchdown pass in 47 straight games. The Saints won that game against the San Diego Chargers 31–24.

By the end of the 2012 NFL season, Devery had a very high average of yards per catch. He averaged almost 18 yards per catch. This was one of the best averages among all active receivers with over 200 catches. After the 2012 season, Devery became a free agent.

Time with the Washington Redskins

Devery Henderson signed with the Washington Redskins on June 12, 2013. However, he was released by the team on August 14, 2013. He did not play any regular season games for them.

NFL Career Statistics

Devery Henderson played 123 games in his NFL career. He had 245 receptions for 4,377 receiving yards. He scored 20 receiving touchdowns and 1 rushing touchdown. His average yards per catch was 17.9.