Drew Henson had everything.
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The now 35-year-old former Michigan quarterback was considered the top NFL Draft prospect in the country while playing football in Ann Arbor, and he even managed to partially unseat perhaps the greatest quarterback of all-time in Tom Brady. Henson had a rocket arm and high-end athleticism at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, and at the time, there was a sizable contingent of fans that were on board with the move to go away from Brady in favor of Henson.
By now, you likely know the story. Henson chose to pursue baseball with a lucrative contract from the New York Yankees, left Michigan and essentially flamed out as a prospect in both baseball and football. Fortunately, Henson seems to have some quality perspective on life at this point in 2015.
Peter Gammons caught up with Henson in February and the former quarterback had this to say about Brady:
"We became friends, and he taught me a lot, especially the way he worked at the game," says Henson. "We both grew up in the Bay Area and Montana was our idol. We loved Michigan. Sure, I was rooting for him (last) Sunday in the Super Bowl, a Wolverine thing. No, really, I'm very happy for him, proud to have been his teammate."
Now, Drew Henson is serving as a professional scout for the Yankees, grinding away with the unflattering, travel-filled lifestyle that accompanies that job. It is easy to forget that he threw for 16 touchdowns against just 4 interceptions in his final campaign in Ann Arbor, and some fans probably will never get over his decision to pursue baseball.
Still, this type of prospect story is all too familiar, and it is a good thing that Henson's story isn't more negative and rather filled with positivity.
He can be found on Twitter at @drewhenson7. Here's a reminder of just how electric he was at Michigan, headlined by a win over Ohio State in 2000:
