By Jon Akre

605 Sports

Back in May 2023, Henry tweeted his intentions to play football for the back-to-back defending FCS national champion South Dakota State Jackrabbits and coach Jimmy Rogers. 

“The program, coach Rogers, I'm excited to go play for him,” Henry said of his commitment to SDSU. “They just develop players really well, and there’s a lot of family-based stuff that goes on up there as well.”

When deciding his future, Henry used some advice he got from Austin, a highly-touted baseball recruit that started his career at Wichita State, about the recruiting process. 

“He said just don’t do what he did,” Henry said. “Just be your own person, and that’s kind of why I went the football route, to stay true to me.”

Henry will join a quarterback room with fellow South Dakotan and Viborg-Hurley graduate Chase Mason.

Henry says he already had connections with Mason prior to SDSU, and ironically, it involves their baseball histories.

“Me and Chase are close, he played baseball with my brother growing up so I know him really well,” Henry said. “And he’s going to be a great role model for me.”

Unfortunately for Henry, the end of the high school baseball season meant the end of his 2024 baseball season, as he’ll have a quick turnaround to get ready for the Jackrabbits.

“No baseball this summer, I head up to Brookings next Saturday, June 8, that’s the report day,” said Henry.

But as the saying goes, when one chapter ends, another one begins, and although his time as a Dell Rapids athlete has come to an end, Henry says he’s thankful for the community and friends who have supported him along the way.

“The support has been amazing, whether it’s fundraisers or anything like that in every sport,” said Henry. “The booster club, all the families, the senior parents, they’ve been awesome, and just made it perfect for me.”

Henry’s leadership and high character has helped build not only the future success of Dell Rapids athletics, but left a lasting impact on his teammates and his head baseball coach, Danny Miller.

“He’s awesome. He’s a great kid. He’s a leader. I love him,” said an emotional Miller. “He’s meant the world to the coaching staff, to his teammates. You can’t ask for a better kid. He’s been everything you could ask for.”