Northwestern graduate student wide receiver A.J. Henning has just 11 guaranteed days remaining as a college football player.
“It’s definitely a surreal feeling, just seeing how far I’ve come,” Henning said. “Just reflecting on my time, and I felt like it wasn’t too long ago. I was just coming up, trying to find my way in college football and just trying to figure it out and put it all together.”
With two regular season games left of Henning’s five-year career, the Wildcats will travel where it all started for the graduate receiver — Michigan Stadium, or “the Big House,” in Ann Arbor — to face the defending national champions Michigan.
Henning committed to the Wolverines out of high school and spent three years in former coach Jim Harbaugh’s program. During that span, Michigan won two Big Ten Championships, reached the college football playoff twice and Henning played in many big games.
After the Wolverines won the National Championship, Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers. Replacing him is Sherrone Moore, who Henning has forged a close relationship with.
“(Moore) was my area recruiter, so he was very involved with my recruitment and coming to Michigan and recruiting me all the way up until I was there,” Henning said. “We kept a great relationship, he’s a great guy, a great coach, and we have a good relationship.”
For the past two years, Henning has found similar traits in NU coach David Braun, including being pushed to his “absolute best.”
As his collegiate career is coming to an end, Braun sent a message that Henning and the seniors are living by.
“Coach talked about it. We only have 11 guaranteed days together. We have the opportunity to earn ourselves an extra opportunity,” Henning said. “It’s been something I’ve truly been trying to cherish, just going out on the practice field, having fun, being in meetings, embracing that.”
Henning has 45 receptions for 468 yards — both career highs — and three touchdowns this season.
He’s not the only person in the wide receiver room whose career is coming to a close; graduate wide receiver Bryce Kirtz has been with the ’Cats for six years, and over the past two seasons, the two have formed a close partnership.
“He’s a leader on this team. He’s a leader in our receiver room,” Henning said. “Having him back, seeing the playmaker he is, he was obviously able to come right back in and pick up right where he left off and make plays. … We feed off each other. And the energy that he has, it’s been great to have him back.”
NU has a notable class of seniors and graduate students who are entering their final weeks as college football players. Along with Henning and Kirtz, players like linebacker Xander Mueller, safety Coco Azema, running back Cam Porter and tight end Thomas Gordon are all playing their final games with the ’Cats.
Individually, Henning has tried to cherish everything.
“The last few games have just been taking a moment,” Henning said. “This is a special time in my life, and this means a lot to me to see how far I’ve come and see how far I am now. It’s very special. This team, the seniors, mean a lot to this team.”
While this weekend will be special for Henning — returning to where it all started in the uniform that he spent the past two seasons wearing — NU is looking to get a victory against the defending champions to help propel them to bowl eligibility.
For the graduate student and one of the ’Cats’ leaders, it does not get more storybook than that.
“It’s truly been a long journey, and I’m grateful,” Henning said. “Excited for how it’s going to close. We’re just looking to finish off this thing the right way.”
Jake Epstein contributed reporting.
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