Think back to what you were doing at 17 years old. We’re pretty sure it did not include going into East Lansing and taking on a ranked Michigan State football team in front of 75,000 enemy fans.
That’s the situation Arizona State true freshman LaDarius Henderson found himself in Saturday afternoon. Not only did Henderson play for the Sun Devils against Michigan State, he started at left tackle.
You read read that right. One year removed from his Sweet 16, Henderson was out there protecting Jayden Daniels‘ blindside.
“I thought I was going to be nervous,” he said. “Like the whole week I was thinking, `Why am I not nervous?’ Then running out I’m like, ‘I’m sure I’m going to be nervous running out,’ but I wasn’t nervous running out,” Henderson said after the game, via AZ Central. “Then I’m thinking I’m going to be nervous on the first play and I wasn’t nervous on the first play.”
That’s amazing in and of itself. To make this story even more amazing, Henderson helped his Sun Devils to a 10-7 win over Michigan State.
A true freshman starting at left tackle is not the norm. At the age of 17 and having started playing football as a junior in high school, Henderson took this to a whole new level.
Here’s a kid we should be paying close attention to over the next few seasons. He seems to have a bright future on the gridiron. After all, the kid won’t turn 18 until the regular season is over.