Death of Henry leaves Bengals in disarray

Chris Henry, the Bengal wide receiver, died after suffering serious injuries upon falling out of the back of a pick-up truck on Wednesday.

The Cincinnati Bengals staff and players have spoken of their shock following the death of receiver Chris Henry. Henry died from injuries sustained in a pick-up truck accident in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday and the team confirmed the news at a press conference in Cincinnati on Thursday.

President Mike Brown felt the timing of the death was particularly sad, given the fact the 26-year-old appeared to be turning his life around after a troubled past. He said: "It's a terrible tragedy that just at the time he was running to daylight his life was snuffed out. It was challenging at times with him. But he was someone we liked and thought could regroup, catch himself, and restart his life. And to his credit, I think he did that."

Brown brought Henry back to the Bengals in August 2008 despite four arrests and three NFL suspensions and was rewarded with a reformed character. "The impression he left me with was one altogether different from what has been portrayed," Brown said. "He was gentle, he was alert, he was interesting to talk to. He won me over." Wide receiver Andre Caldwell was another who felt Henry was misunderstood, saying: "He was a family guy. He loved his family. He cared about the game, he cared about this team, he cared about people.

"He was just a good person. He was like a big brother. He was just misunderstood. He was mistakenly taken as a bad guy. That's like a brother to me to have somebody like that go down. We're just going to rally up and get our troops together. Fight for him. This season is for him. Dedicated to him. Just rally up there." Police confirmed Henry had died after "coming out" of a pick-up truck following a domestic dispute with his fiancee.

No charges have been filed, although police say homicide detectives have been investigating since the incident. Henry was in his fifth season with the Bengals who play the San Diego Chargers tomorrow. * With agencies