NEARLY 15 YEARS have passed since Chris Henry last stepped foot on a football field prior to his tragic death in December 2009. Some mornings at Southern California's Golden West College, T.J. Houshmandzadeh still catches glimpses of the tall, reserved wide receiver he once knew during their playing careers with the Cincinnati Bengals.
On the turf, there's a skinny 16-year-old pass catcher who runs just like Henry did when he emerged as a downfield favorite of Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer in the mid-2000s. There's something familiar in the way the kid drops his weight and operates his long, lanky frame.