Michigan Football Q&A: Willie Henry
10/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 26, 2015
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan players and coaches will sit down with MGoBlue.com's Steve Kornacki weekly during the 2015 season to discuss Wolverine football. Senior defensive tackle Willie Henry spoke on Monday (Oct. 26) about Saturday's (Oct. 31) game at Minnesota, defensive line coach Greg Mattison, getting back the Little Brown Jug and why he's always liked NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal.
Q. You have six sacks through seven games to lead the team and rank sixth in the Big Ten. That's double the number of sacks you had last season. What's behind your increased productivity?
A. There are a lot of second- and third-effort plays going on out there, fighting through the blocks. And the coverage out back has helped me a lot; there have been a lot of coverage sacks. There's also pressure from the other guys up front who are not allowing quarterbacks to step up -- or the edge pressure from guys like Taco Charlton and Chris Wormley is not allowing the quarterbacks to roll out. It's a whole defensive line, whole defense effort. Part of my success from my sacks comes from them.
Q. Where have you stepped up your own game?
A. Mentally, the more games you play, the game slows down. You understand more, and taking coaching from Coach Mattison, Coach (Will) Carr and (defensive analyst Antonio) James, helping me with my pass rush. It's taking that coaching and putting it on the field. They've taught me how to be successful out there.
Notes: Carr, a 1996 All-America nose tackle for the Wolverines, is a student assistant coach. James, a member of the University of Illinois' 2008 Rose Bowl team, is a defensive analyst.
Jim Harbaugh with Greg Mattison and D.J. Durkin
Q. Mattison has been the defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens and here at Michigan as well as at Florida and Notre Dame. What has he helped you with specifically?
A. He's a great coach because he has been doing it for a very long time. He's seen a lot of guys developed and developed those players. He emphasizes that it's second, third and even fourth effort that gets sacks and knowing where the center is going to slide and where the defensive weak spots are, letting you know what kind of game you can run on the front side or back side from watching a lot of film.
Q. You have a really high motor on the field. Have you always been that way?
A. I think it's just something that clicks for me. It's like you have something to prove. It's like something (defensive coordinator D.J.) Durkin told us before the season -- that there wasn't anybody from the defense on any kind of award watch list. He told us that we have so much talent in the room, and for nobody to be on a watch list showed the kind of respect we were getting and what people thought of us. So, we just go out there every Saturday and show people what they've been sleeping on.
Q. The three consecutive shutouts by the defense against Brigham Young, Maryland and Northwestern brought a lot of attention to the unit. How much pride did you take in that streak?
A. We all take pride in it because we know we all have to play great to get a shutout, and the coaches do a good job of keeping us on the same page. But the shutouts are great. It makes you feel great to know that we can do such a great thing like that. It's a pride thing.
Q. What about Coach Jim Harbaugh has impressed you most?
A. It's just his enthusiasm. It seems to never change whether it's a good day or a bad day. It's always there. You look to your left in practice, and he's doing drills with quarterbacks or running backs. Just seeing him doing that is so inspiring, the head coach being so hands on with the players.
Q. You played at Glenville High, a powerhouse in Cleveland coached by Ted Ginn, Sr. What did you gain at Glenville?
A. Those guys stood on top of me and taught me right from wrong and told me to keep my head on straight. A lot of the coaches there helped me become the player I am today.
Q. You also played basketball in high school. You look like a power forward. Is that the position you played?
A. I was definitely a power forward (laughter). I've been a paint guy my whole life. I like the interior, hard play down in the paint in basketball. That's just kind of my mindset. I'll bang for rebounds, box you out. I'm a scrappy guy.
Q. Who was your favorite football or basketball player when you were growing up?
A. My favorite basketball player has to be LeBron (James). That's the clichéd answer, and LeBron is from (Akron, Ohio). But another guy I looked up to was Shaq. I was a big Shaquille O'Neal guy. Just being big (6-3, 311 pounds) and goofy like I am allowed me to compare and contrast myself with him. And being big as a kid, me and Shaq were pretty much on the same page.
Left: Le'Bron James with former Wolverine Juwan Howard // Right: Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal
Q. What are you studying?
A. I'm a general studies major, and I'm focusing on marketing. So, I'm getting a certificate from the Ross School of Business for sales.
Q. Minnesota won the Little Brown Jug last year in your game in Ann Arbor. What does it mean to you to win that game Saturday and bring it back home?
A. It means a lot. Every game means a lot, but it's something that adds on to the game to make you want to give a little bit more. It's a pride thing with so much tradition connected and getting it back to where it needs to be in Ann Arbor is important. We'll talk during the week about the players who sweated and fought for that Jug. We know what it stands for, and so the rivalry between Michigan and Minnesota is special.
