NORFOLK, Va. — As spring football continues for the ODU Monarchs, they're hoping to keep things going on the defensive side of the ball. They've lost experience in the secondary, but when it comes to the linebacking core, leading the way is Jason Henderson.
The junior was a tackling machine for Old Dominion last season. He totaled 186 which was 39 more than the second tackler in the country. Henderson understands he's a marked man for the upcoming season.
"I always feel like I've got a target on my back", he says. "I started to notice it deeper into the season last year".
Monarch defensive coordinator, Blake Seiler knows how crucial Henderson is to the squad. "Jason is the heart and soul of the defense", he says. "His work speaks for itself. What he's been able to do. Not just last year, but his true freshman year."
Henderson has been referred to having a big motor, but it's his wrestling past from high school where he was ranked 5th in his home state of Pennsylvania as a junior. It was that result that caught the eye of Seiler.
There's not many people that's breaking 42's tackles", he laughed. "I've loved wrestlers. They've always been dominant tacklers".
Henderson has seen how his wrestling skills have helped him on the football, but playing the game is so much more to him.
"Wrestling you're on a team, but when you go out on the mat, you're on your own", he says. "With football you learn a lot of things from wrestling you learn a lot about team."