Plastered over many sports-news outlets recently was the story of the Denver Broncos’ recent release of Travis Henry. Included has been much ado over his year-old contract, originally worth $22.5 million over 5 years, and the Broncos organization still choosing to part ways with the former Pro Bowl running back.

Head coach Mike Shanahan’s given reason for the departure of Henry? According the Shanahan, Henry’s behavior seemed to express a “lack of commitment” to the Broncos’ organization.

But, the story should not be that Shanahan and the front office released Henry. It should, instead, be why the Broncos even signed the troubled back to a lucrative long-term contract in the first place. Previous signs of “lack of commitment” were evident well before Henry inked his 2007 free agent contract.

Early Success
Travis Henry’s talent has never been questioned. He had a stellar college career becoming the all-time leading rusher at the University of Tennessee. He carried that over after being drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2001. He got off to a fast start with Buffalo, rushing for over 1400 yards his second year in the league, but trouble soon followed.

travis-henry-buffalo-bills.jpg Travis Henry, who was recently released by the Denver Broncos due to a “lack of commitment,” had success early in his career with the Buffalo Bills. (Flickr Photo: Omar Phillips)

All About Travis
After his successful start in the NFL, Henry was replaced as the starting running back when the Bills decided to select Willis McGahee with their 2004 first round draft pick. Henry quickly demanded a trade displaying a “lack commitment” to his teammates and the organization. It was all about Travis Henry.

It is understandable that a professional athlete and competitor would want to be playing and on the field as much as possible. However, he signed a contract, and he should have honored that contract in a modified role for the Bills. (Plus, look at all of the current two-back systems in place in the NFL. The Bills were just going to be one of the first teams to implement the system.)

Failed Drug Tests
Another sign of Henry’s inability to be fully vested in his professional career occurred after he had been traded to the Titans. Henry failed a drug test and was suspended from the NFL for four games of the 2005 season. Henry followed that up by getting himself suspended last season for failing yet another drug test, but he managed to find a legal loophole that allowed him to avoid the one-year suspension he was facing. His repeated failures of drug tests exhibit a type of commitment an owner, who is paying him millions for his football abilites, or his teammates, who line up beside him on Sundays, can never respect.

A Father to Many, A Parent to ?
Of course, the most infamous sign of Henry’s aversion to commitment is the number of illegitimate children he has fathered. According to widespread rumor and later confirmed by ESPN’s Chris Mortenson, Henry has managed to spread his seed well fathering nine children in his thirty year existence. This might not be so extraordinary if these nine offspring weren’t from nine different women in four different Southern states.

Henry has also had troubles paying the child support that is due to his children (at one point having to borrow money from his former employer, the Tennessee Titans, in order to pay). If Henry cannot commit to a woman and the child he helped create with her, how did the Broncos expect him to commit to the game of football and, in particular, their organization?

Other players with committment issues
Of course, Henry is not alone in his level of commitment. Other players with checkered pasts, who have put themselves in positions to have their own commitment levels scrutinized by the public and their teammates, have made NFL news lately.

Two of these lightning rods of criticism are currently under contract with the Dallas Cowboys (other news-making troublemakers: Odell Thurman, Chad Johnson, and Chris Henry all play with the Bengals — that’s real surprising): Terrell Owens signed a 3 year extension worth $27 million on June 3, and Adam “Pacman” Jones was granted permission to participate in practices and preseason games with his new team by NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell.

Let’s hope for the Cowboys and their fans’ sakes these two players show a level of commitment to their jobs that Travis Henry was unable to maintain for the Broncos and that organization’s faithful.

Heisman

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