Willie Henderson '22 Recruiting Profile

I believe that people have the ability to rise above any situation because life is what you make of it. I have had many struggles in my short life. I grew up in the projects of a very small town and has faced many obstacles and challenges. In an effort to deal with my many struggles, obstacles and challenges, I chose basketball as an outlet.

Growing up, I was smaller in stature than other boys my age. Since I was little, the other kids would not choose me to be on their basketball team when games were played in the neighborhood. They just looked at me and judged me based on my size.

Roy T. Bennett said, “challenge and adversity are meant to help you know who you are. Storms hit your weakness, but unlock your true strength.” Since I’m from the projects, my mom couldn’t afford to pay for basketball training for me. So, around the age of 6, I began training myself. I wanted to be the best player, and I was tired of not being chosen because of my size.

We had an indoor basketball goal that hung on the door. I would have my brother who is three years older than me and sister who is six years older than me get on their knees, and I would practice jumping over them dunking the basketball in the goal. I constantly practiced my jump shot. I could run around the projects several times without stopping while the other kids would have given up after just a couple of laps around. I would do pushups and sit-ups. I used the household furniture to do strengthening drills.

I trained day in and day out for years. By the time I was in middle school, I was the captain choosing the team in my neighborhood and everyone wanted to be on my team. I self-trained and persevered through my obstacles because I want to get out of the projects. What began as an outlet will now be my vehicle to college.

I am 6”1’ and weigh 180 pounds and I can dunk on a defender via alley-oop or taking it straight to the defender. I can also make shots from anywhere on the court. Due to my versatility, I can play any position on the court. I average 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals a game.

I rose above my situation. I did not allow the no’s to dictate my future. It just made me work harder. It made me stronger physically and mentally.

I am ready to take my skills to the next level.