A chronic right hip injury sustained during the 2007 offseason has caused former Bulldog starting quarterback Michael Henig to choose to forego his senior season at Mississippi State.Henig, who shared the news with MSU head coach Sylvester Croom, his teammates and coaches on Monday, has been under the care of hip specialist Thomas Byrd, of Nashville, who recommended surgery that would carry along an eight-month rehabilitation period. Byrd also told Henig that if he gave up the game, the hip would heal on its own.
“It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve had to do,” Henig said in a press release. “I love football. I love the guys on the team. I love the whole coaching staff, but it was that as I’m getting older, I realize I’ve had a good career, and I’ve lived out my dream of playing college football.”
The hip injury was described by MSU head trainer Paul Mock as a possible tear of the hip joint cartilage. Henig sustained the injury during two-a-day practices in the fall semester, and it never went away, despite trying injections to repair the injury. Henig said he feels like he’s leaving on good terms and with a positive attitude about his decision.
“I have had a good career,” he said. “Coach Croom and his staff have let me live out a dream of playing football in the Southeastern Conference. We won at Alabama, and we beat Ole Miss the first time I played them.”
The concern of his future health and his former injuries ultimately led to Henig’s decision not to return for another season. He was limited to just seven games during his sophomore season after two fractures of his collarbone and also underwent surgery during the 2007 season after sustaining a broken hand in the Bulldogs’ win over Auburn.
“I’ve had several injuries and surgeries while playing. I’ve got to look to my future,” Henig said. “My body can’t handle another surgery. I want to be able to play with my kids one day.”
Henig played in 23 games during his MSU career. He made three starts during the 2007 season, including the season-opener against LSU in which he threw a school-record tying six interceptions. During his career, he completed 171 of 386 passes for 2,278 yards but had 24 interceptions to 10 touchdowns.
Croom had already made the decision that freshman Wesley Carroll, who took over the starting quarterback spot after injuries to Henig and Josh Riddell during the 2007 season, would be at the top of the depth chart once spring practice started for the Bulldogs. Henig would have been at the No. 2 spot on the chart. He said his spot on the depth chart had no bearing on his decision and that he is confident the program will see success out if its remaining quarterbacks.
“Coach Croom has got the program going in the right direction,” Henig said. “I am comfortable with my decision.”
Henig is three credit hours away from graduation and plans to return to his hometown of Montgomery, Ala., for a job at his father’s business, Henig Furs. He said he will look back on his MSU career with pride.
“My career was full of ups and downs, but the way I look at it, I try to stay positive all the time,” Henig said. “I look at my career as a positive. Before I got here, my main goal in high school was to play SEC football, and I did that.