Alrighty, rock and roll it is the Zach Geld Show Coast to Coast on the Infinity Sports Network. We go out to the guest line right now welcoming a tight end for the New England Patriots. He, of course, is Hunter Henry and he's here today on behalf of Compassion International. Hunter, appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing this and how you been? I'm doing good, man. Thanks for having me on.
I appreciate you coming on. So I know when you played in college at Arkansas, you ended up winning the Mackey Award that was just handed out this past weekend. I saw Tyler Warren from Penn State got the honor. Have you been able to watch a little bit of Tyler this year?
And what are some of your impressions on him? Yeah, I've caught a few games of Tyler's this past week or this past year. And yeah, he's an impressive athlete, man. He does so much for that team. It's always good to add another guy to the to the Mackey fraternity in a way.
It was well deserved. He's had a tremendous year and looking forward to competing with him at this level. Now, the last two years, Brock Bowers was pretty comfortable winning the award the last two seasons. We know what his expectations were going into the league and so far with the few weeks left in the season. The guy has 90 catches for 968 yards.
So he's going to clear the 100 yard, you know, 100 perception mark 1000 yard mark. Just knowing how tough it is to come into the league with expectations for him to make that transition just so effortlessly. Just what stands out to you on that? It's huge. It's a probably one of the hardest positions in the league just mentally and then obviously physically.
Just everything they asked me to do and he's done that after the effortlessly. I mean, just he's got a ton of talent. I mean, obviously we all saw it in college and everything, but to transition that to the NFL has been impressive and hats off to him. He's killing it when you got drafted by the Chargers. You had one of the greatest tight ends of all time. Antonio Gates in that organization and in that room looking back just how fortunate were you to have a resource like an Antonio Gates when you first got into the league.
I was huge. He's he was a big time mentor for me. Somebody I was able to lean on and I was really young that I still look back on all the things that I was able to just watch and learn from him at a young, you know, as a young guy in this league and be able to just see the success he had. He's he's helped me really make it to this point. Just, you know, having a guy like that in the room earlier, but what were some of the things just wondering that you really took from him specifically?
I was more. I think a lot of things were just watching how he went about his business. Obviously football wise. I learned a lot just how he saw different routes, how he, you know, manipulated guys, you know, he didn't always have to run, you know, full speed, but was able to, you know, understand coverages and understand leverage in a way that has really helped me to this point. Talking to Hunter Henry right now on behalf of Compassion International, you know, this being in New England, they have a rich tradition for tight ends, obviously with what Gronk did. Also, you go back years ago, Ben Coates. I know there was two years in between you getting there with Gronk leaving and then eventually coming back, but going to Tampa Bay. Did you kind of feel that burden when you got to New England? Because you were kind of viewed as the guy.
All right, big free agent signing. You were going to be one of the guys to try to replace a Gronk all those years later. I never felt it as a burden, man. I just try to be myself. Try to be as consistent as I can every single day. Continue to get better and improve myself. So never saw it as a burden more as a challenge and I always like to rise up to challenges in a way. I mean, obviously, Gronk is a special, special player and did so much here, has so much success in this league.
So, you know, you're never going to be a guy like that, per se, but, you know, just trying to be as consistent as I can every day and be the same person. So we take a look at the Patriots now. There's a lot of excitement because of the young quarterback in Drake May, just being a teammate and seeing how he's grown throughout the year from finally getting some opportunities to play.
Just what are the impressions? Tell us everything we need to know about Drake May and what it's like being a teammate of his. Yeah, he's doing a great job, man. He's grown a lot every time he gets out there and see something. I mean, he just continues to get better. So it's fun to grow with them. It's fun to see just how much improvement he's made just from this first start and just even and from training camp.
So it's very exciting. I know he is always trying to get better, always trying to improve, and it's fun to be around a guy like that every single day. I know it's very ambiguous to say someone just has an it factor because it's tough to describe, but do you kind of sense that when you're around him that he just has that franchise quarterback type of feel that it factor that you need from all quarterbacks? I hate to put that on him in a way, but I just think he handles his business the right way on and off the field. Obviously, everybody else sees the talent on the field, but I think it's the stuff off the field, just being a good guy in the locker room, a guy that just wants to be with the guys and lift everybody up in a positive way. And so I don't know if I could say all that, you know, I'll let you guys, you know, discuss and debate on the it factor and all that stuff. But, you know, I just I enjoy being around the guy.
Obviously, the players is special as well. Just curious because a lot of people expect this to be a big offseason in New England. There's going to hopefully be a lot of moves that are made and more talent added to this team. I'm just wondering you being there. If like a free agent hit you up and said, Hunter, I'm considering the Patriots. Why should I, you know, make that move for me and my family?
Just what do you kind of tell them right now? But what you guys are building in New England? Oh, man, obviously, Drake is very, very talented and he's got a bright future. So, I mean, obviously, if you're on offense or defense, I mean, quarterback is one of the most important positions in this league. And so, you know, Drake is super talented and a guy that's just super easy to be around and a guy that honestly, you just want to go out and play with, play for. So, you know, hopefully we can get, you know, more guys in here and whatever it is.
I don't know. But yeah, I would just say that, you know, obviously we're talking about Drake and he's a special, special player, but also a special person. Yeah, hopefully T. Higgins hears that message, if I may say so myself.
Hunter Henry here with us. How about your coach, Jerrod Mayo? I know he's been around the organization, right? He played, he was on Bill's coaching staff. Now, though, he's the head honcho. Just what is this experience like seeing him now be the head coach? And how do you kind of describe him as the head football coach of the Patriots? Yeah, he's great, man. He's been around here for a while, obviously, with the pedigree under Bill.
So it brings a lot of that, a lot of that to the table, but his own mix to it. You know, I have a ton of respect for Mayo and how he runs things, how he gets guys going. Man, it's been a lot of fun to grow with him. Obviously, there's been a lot of struggles this year and it's not what we wanted at all, but I feel like he's handled the head on and done a tremendous job in that aspect. It seems like what you're saying, the confidence has never wavered in the belief in him, because you know how when the times aren't going well and people are losing, people are going to speculate, is it a one and done situation? It seems like you still believe in the head football coach.
Of course. Yeah, I always believe in my head football coach, especially Mayo, man. He's been consistent throughout the whole year and who he is.
So I would not question that. All right, let me get your thoughts on Bill Belichick. What was your reaction when you saw that he was going back to the sideline, but it was going to be the college with UNC? Yeah, I was a little surprised, maybe just to be truthful with you, but I'm happy for him, man. He's a heck of a football coach, man. Obviously, one of the best to ever do it. I was honored to be with him for a few years and he's taught me so much just about the game and how to see the game in so many different ways.
So obviously, those college kids are going to be very lucky to have such an influence like that in their lives, football wise. I don't know if sad is the right word, but was it a little bit like upsetting, even though he's no longer your coach, but you would think when Bill would be making a return, it would be to an NFL sideline where he kind of belongs and and all the success that he's had in the league. I don't know if it was sad. I think it was just, you know, Bill, Bill just loves to coach man, and I think he makes an impact on people and can help people grow, continue to get better. And so I think he saw it as a challenge. I don't know if it would, I would say sad at all.
I think he's excited for the opportunity ahead. Last thing I'll ask you before we talk about Compassion International, Hunter Henry here with us. When you look back at your college experience at Arkansas, just what were some of the things that still to this day that you kind of hold with you from that time being a part of PIGSUI? Yeah, I mean, I take a lot of pride in that state, kind of help form who I am. My dad played there, I had a grandfather who played basketball there, you know, all my brothers played there. So just my family takes a lot of pride in that state and I still do even to this day, like still going out there and playing to this day.
I still, you know, kind of carry a piece of Arkansas with me and just want to represent that state as best as I can. So I had a lot of pride when I played for them. I still do, like I said, and it was just a blast man. Obviously, we were kind of middle of the road team when I was there, but still it was just a lot of fun. We kind of built something, I felt like we had a lot of talent, a lot of good football players that I was able to spend time with. I had a lot of coaches that really impacted me and helped get me to this point that I'm still playing, still playing this game at a high level.
Before we let you run, Hunter Henry, the floor is yours. Just let me know what you got cooking up with Compassion International. Yeah, I mean, so I actually got to my cause, my cleats this year. I represented an organization called Compassion International, an organization me and my wife have supported for a long time and just wanted to kind of raise a light and awareness to an organization that's doing so much good in this world. Compassion International is an organization, a child development organization that releases kids from poverty in Jesus name. And that's everything that me and my wife are about. We actually are kind of really supporting their camp, their current campaign right now, which is the Fight for First, which helps when you donate money, you can help build survival centers and development centers for moms and babies in third world countries to help support them through their first year of life or through the, you know, the pregnancy, the birth and then their first year of life. And we've kind of really taken that to heart and tried to support them in that aspect because it's helping so many women across the world because it just blows my mind. I have two kids of my own now that I couldn't even think just thinking back to, you know, giving birth and just that whole first year, all the support that we had that through that. There's a lot of moms and babies throughout the world that don't have that support at all.
And some of these babies don't even make it to their first birthday and some of these moms don't even make it. So it is really touched my heart and it touched my wife's heart. And so that's why I supported them for my cause, my cleats, and continue to support them throughout the years. And they do such great work and we're so honored to be partners with them. And for more information, you can visit www.compassion.com. He is Hunter Henry of the New England Patriots. They played the Bills this weekend. Hunter, we appreciate the time. Thanks so much. Amen.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-12-19 18:30:48 / 2024-12-19 18:36:29 / 6