Cincinnati Bengals arrive at funeral for teammate Chris Henry; services at his La. hometown

Bengals arrive at teammate’s funeral in La.

WESTWEGO, La. — The Cincinnati Bengals and hundreds of others arrived in suburban New Orleans on Tuesday to mourn the sudden loss of teammate Chris Henry, who was killed when he fell out of a pickup truck bed during what police described as a domestic dispute.

The Bengals players and their families arrived on three buses led by police motorcycles at the facility where the New Orleans Hornets usually practice. Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis and quarterback Carson Palmer were expected to deliver eulogies.

Henry grew up in the small, suburban community of Belle Chasse, and many at the funeral wore red ribbons on their lapels with a small photo of Henry with the words: “In loving memory” and “Chris ‘Slim’ Henry.”

Shane Shelley, 26, was Henry’s high school QB when they made it to the state title game in 2001, their senior year.

“It’s a sad day for Belle Chasse. We really lost a good friend, a brother, one of my best friends,” said a watery-eyed Shelley. “It’s hard. We lost one of us. We’re going to miss him. We love him.”

Henry, 26, died Thursday, a day after he fell out of the truck in North Carolina, where he had been recovering from a broken forearm that ended his season. His fiancee, Loleini Tonga, was driving the truck on a curvy residential street near downtown Charlotte.

Police said Henry and his fiancee got into an argument at the Tonga family home and she drove away. Henry then jumped into the truck’s bed.

A witness has said he heard Henry say, “If you take off, I’m going to jump off the truck and kill myself.” A 911 caller told a dispatcher she saw a shirtless man wearing a cast “beating on the back of this truck window.”

Police said Tonga stopped to assist Henry about a half-mile from the home. Police are investigating but no charges have been filed.

Tonga was flanked by family at the visitation and received hugs by those filing by Henry’s open casket. Tonga and Henry had been raising three kids.

Henry’s football career had been marred by off-the-field problems, beginning when played college ball at West Virginia. His troubles continued during a five-year NFL career. He was suspended five times for arrests ranging from weapons charges to drugs.

The Bengals said he had turned his life around this season and showed a renewed focus on his football career. A thigh injury slowed him early in the season, but he had 12 catches for 236 yards. His 19.7-yard average per catch led the team before he broke his left forearm during a win last month over Baltimore.

He dreamed of playing in the NFL, but after he was ejected from a game and suspended for another at West Virginia, the Bengals were the only team to bring him in for a pre-draft visit in 2005.

Selected in the third round, Henry played a vital role as a speedy, deep threat as Cincinnati reached the playoffs in his rookie season. But in the final month of the season he was arrested for marijuana possession.

“The Chris Henry I knew was a good quiet young man, wasn’t a troublemaker,” said Shelley, his high school friend. “That’s what everybody needs to know. He was a good man, a good father.”