NFL: Veteran Henry stays humble

Just turned 27 the other day. He's in the middle of his third season.

The days as a fresh-faced rookie out of the University of South Florida seem like a long time ago.

Meet Anthony Henry, NFL veteran.

Funny though, Henry the Veteran sounds an awful lot like Henry the Rookie.

Even now, three years into his career as a cornerback for the Cleveland Browns, Henry still talks like the wide-eyed, humble kid who was a long-shot to make the team back in 2001.

It doesn't matter that he's now a leader on an inexperienced unit that currently is the second-ranked pass defense in the NFL.

He doesn't care that his play over the first two years of his career allowed the Browns to revamp their secondary in the off-season, making him a starter for a team that made the playoffs in 2002.

To Henry, it's still about showing up, working hard and trying not to lose focus.

"I've just tried to learn the defense better, pick up on things and keep my weight down," said Henry, who is playing at 197 pounds this season, down from 205 a year ago. "You can never take this thing for granted. It would be easy, though, because you can get caught up in the mix (of being a professional athlete)."

Too bad some of Henry's teammates don't seem to be following his lead.

The Browns' tumultuous 3-5 start to the 2003 season included a quarterback controversy between Tim Couch and Kelly Holcombe and the arrest and suspension of running back William Green.

One week they're shutting down the Pittsburgh Steelers, the next they're watching San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson pile up 200 yards rushing. And that was after Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis set an NFL record with 283 yards rushing against the Browns back in September.

"We want the consistency," Henry said. "We've been playing teams that have done really well.

We can't give up. That's just going to make the situation that much harder."

That's the one thing the Browns don't need. The long road to the playoffs begins today against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs (8-0), who have one of the league's most potent offenses.

"They're not hard to prepare for in that we know what they're going to do, they just have so many different ways of doing it," Henry said. "Guys like (kick returner/wide receiver) Dante Hall, if he gets going and they start with (good field position) it's going to be tough. The guys with speed that stretch the field and a good quarterback. They have a lot of weapons."

The Browns, however, do not.

Despite having the league's seventh-ranked defense, Cleveland has been unable to get things going offensively. In two games this season, the Browns have held the opposition out of the end zone. They've lost both games.

"I always think if we get the points, we can win games," Henry said. "There were times last year where the offense did a great job and the defense didn't come through. You have to understand that it takes time."

It may be the one thing the Browns don't have. The Ravens are 5-3 and threatening to run away with the division. The longer things remain unsettled on offense -- particularly at quarter back -- the harder it'll be for the Browns to develop any type of rhythm.

"There is uncertainty, we've talked about it amongst ourselves," Henry said. "We understand that there isn't one team that's strong at every position."

Yet the secondary seems to be the one spot the Browns can rely on week in and week out.

"The front seven has done a great job getting pressure, which makes our job easier," Henry said. "I think we've all done a good job and it goes back to us being here in the offseason and guys being together watching film and studying. Our secondary wasn't supposed to be as good this year."

And Henry is learning that there is more to playing cornerback in the NFL than getting interceptions. As a rookie, he set a team rookie record with 10 interceptions, mainly because defenses were picking on him. In the last 24 games, however, he has just three interceptions.

"Early in my career I looked at it as picks define how my career should go," Henry said. "At the same time, it's more important to stop the big plays."

Already this season, Henry has 38 tackles and 10 pass break-ups for a unit that has allowed just four passing touchdowns in eight games.

While he's pleased with how the secondary has progressed, he also knows it won't matter if the Browns don't make the playoffs.

"We've got a lot of season left, I feel like we should still be back in the hunt and pull it out," Henry said.

In the third year of a four-year contract that pays him roughly $430,000 annually, Henry said he hasn't thought about the riches his next contract may bring.

"If I just work and go out there and do my job, that's all I can do," Henry said. "You want to go out there and support your family.

I'm just glad I have the opportunity."