Former ‘Last Chance U’ star Malik Henry finding way in arena football with Jacksonville Sharks
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BVM) – Malik Henry is still throwing touchdown passes.
He’s no longer doing it on Netflix’s hit series “Last Chance U” — where he was one of the show’s most polarizing figures — or on a Division I campus. But the former four-star recruit is back near where his once-promising collegiate career began.
Henry chose Florida State and then-head coach Jimbo Fisher out of high school (Long Beach Poly) after fielding offers from Arizona State, Auburn, Notre Dame, Ohio State and others. But the Long Beach, California native spent just one season in Tallahassee before transferring to Independence Community College (Kansas), the focus of seasons three and four of “Last Chance U.”
After two seasons at Independence – where he played in 12 games for the Pirates, threw for 1,620 yards and 11 passing touchdowns and led Indy to a 9-2 overall record and a Midwestern Bowl victory (2017) – Henry finished his collegiate career at the University of Nevada. He played in three games for the Wolfpack after being offered a walk-on spot for the 2019 season.
Former 'Last Chance U' star Malik Henry was slinging it around in his first FBS start for @NevadaFootball.#BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/lKG4cTen7B
— Stadium (@Stadium) October 13, 2019
After not being seen on a football field since the 2019 season, Henry resurfaced last summer on the roster of an Indoor Football League (IFL) team. The 6-foot-3 QB joined the Frisco Fighters late in the season and made his pro debut against the defending IFL champion Sioux Falls Storm. He finished his rookie campaign with 76 completions for 778 passing yards and 10 passing touchdowns.
Henry is back for his second season of arena football and first in the National Arena League (NAL) after signing with the Jacksonville Sharks back in December. The 2017 and 2019 NAL and ArenaBowl XXIV Champion Sharks began the season 0-3 before a Saturday showdown with rival Columbus.
The former “Last Chance U” star completed 19 of his 28 pass attempts for 243 yards and six touchdowns in a 49-20 beatdown of the Lions to lead the Sharks (1-3) to their first win of the season.
#SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/RaZcX1UIM9
— Jacksonville Sharks (@jaxsharks) May 15, 2022
In his Jacksonville debut on April 23, Henry completed 29 passes for 239 yards and five touchdowns before following that performance up with a seven-touchdown game the next weekend. Through four games this season, Henry is completing 59% of his passes for 925 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions.
It may not be the glamorous lifestyle that many thought Henry might once live, but the talented QB is still doing what he loves. Henry and the Sharks are back in action this weekend at the Albany Empire.
