Former Packers TE Mitchell Henry Dies at Age 24 of Leukemia
Former NFL tight end Mitchell Henry died Friday morning after being diagnosed with leukemia in December. He was 24.
Kris Burke of SB Nation passed along the news. First Christian Church in his hometown of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, provided a statement from his mother, Lesley Henry.
“We are so proud of Mitchell’s fight with this terrible disease, proud of how he lived his life for the past 24 years, but most of all proud of his faith and acceptance of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior,” she said.
Henry went undrafted out of Western Kentucky University in 2015. He made 78 catches for 1,094 yards and 12 touchdowns during his four years with the Hilltoppers.
He signed his first NFL contract with the Green Bay Packers and also made stops with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens across two NFL seasons. He had a second stint with the Packers and played his only two regular-season games with the Broncos in 2015.
Henry garnered support from around the league after his acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis last year. He tweeted a message he received from legendary quarterback Peyton Manning:
Western Kentucky head coach Mike Sanford posted a message of condolence on Twitter:
Former WKU quarterback Brandon Doughty, who currently plays for the Miami Dolphins, also used social media to relay his reaction:
Chad Bishop of WBKO passed along a statement from Hilltoppers athletic director Todd Stewart.
“It is with great sadness that we learned of Mitchell’s passing this morning,” he said. “Mitchell was as committed to his teammates, his University, his friends and his family as anyone you will ever find, and we were so fortunate to have him as part of our Hilltopper family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his lovely wife Madison, and all of those who were blessed to have known Mitchell.”
