In sports we hear about guys who have that “It” factor, that something special that comes around every once in a while. It is always a privilege to get the chance to see that special talent blossom, and in the case of David Henderson it was no different. Henderson statistically was the best running back in San Francisco High School Football history, surpassing NFL hall of famers and SF natives Ollie Mattson and O.J. Simpson. His illustrious high school career included a stat line that totaled 5,600 yards and led his Lincoln Mustangs to Turkey Bowl wins in 2005, 2006, and 2007. He had a personality that lit up a room and the talent that lit up the field night after night.
Henderson, (like former record holder OJ Simpson) after high school took the road up to 50 Phelan Ave to bring his talents to the City College of San Francisco in hopes of taking his career to the next level. Upon taking the field with the Rams it did not seem like Henderson had missed a beat. Upon taking his first touch of the football on a kick off against Cabrillo Junior college "Doom" (a nick name he coined while tearing up the AAA) brought the ball back for a 94 yard touchdown. Henderson would continue to do well despite being benched his sophomore year for missing practices. By the end of the season he would have regained his role as the starting running back and earned himself an offer to the University of West Georgia but due to off the field problems, it would be a short lived term there. David Henderson came back to San Francisco and began playing for the semipro Pacifica Islanders in January after his failed attempts to play football at the University of West Georgia and the University of Arkansas, according to his mother. He was also set to try out with the San Jose Saber Cats arena football team this week.
On Thursday, May 26th, 2011, David Henderson was shot in the head and spine and was critically wounded on the 1400 block of Kirkwood Ave. in the city’s Bayview district. Upon reaching San Francisco General Hospital, the doctors put David into a medically induced coma. After struggling for more than a week, David died on Monday, June 6th from injuries sustained from the shooting.
As any person who knew David or knew of him, this is a tragedy of epic proportions. After losing his cousin earlier this year Henderson had stated to the San Francisco examiner that he was focused on getting his life together. A statement from Pacifica Islanders general manager Tom Piccolotti about how he was arriving early to practice smiling and ready to go would back that story up. Henderson was just steps away from reaching that next level he so desperately wanted to reach but in yet another terrible story he was struck down in the prime of his youth.
David will never get the opportunity to play in the pros like OJ or Ollie, but he will nonetheless gain the honor of living on in San Francisco history as the single greatest running back to touch the field in San Francisco. David Henderson will forever live on in the hearts of his family and teammates.
