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OL Avery Henry (National Champion)

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Avery Henry Pushing Forward, Motivated to Inspire Others After Cancer Battle Ended Ohio State Career

Fourteen months after he underwent career-ending surgery due to a cancer diagnosis, Avery Henry is exceeding expectations physically and looking to inspire others with his story.
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AVERY HENRY PUSHING FORWARD, MOTIVATED TO INSPIRE OTHERS AFTER CANCER BATTLE ENDED OHIO STATE CAREER​

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When Avery Henry was diagnosed with bone cancer in December 2022, he was told he might never be able to lift a bar again. Fourteen months later, the former Ohio State offensive lineman is able to bench press 315 pounds.

The same competitive drive that enabled Henry to earn a scholarship to play football at Ohio State continues to fuel him as he moves forward from the diagnosis that changed his life forever.

“When they told me I wasn't gonna be able to do it, I said, ‘No, I'm going to do it. You don't know who I am,’” Henry said. “I'm going to push myself to extremes. I'm gonna do whatever I can. If that means possibly playing football one day again, you better believe I'm gonna take the chance. So it pushes me to the extreme, with grades, with everything. I mean, I'm a straight-A student now. It's realizing that anything can go at any moment. Never wasting opportunities.”

Henry knew soon after he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma that he was unlikely to ever play football again. Henry had to have three inches of his ulna, one of the two bones in the forearm that connects the wrist to the elbow, removed in his right arm. Because part of his ulnar nerve was also removed, Henry lost feeling in part of his hand and is unable to fully move some of his fingers.

But while Henry has medically retired from football, he’s still working out regularly at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center – where he’s welcome to be a part of team activities any time he wants – with hopes of eventually getting back to doing the same lifts as Ohio State’s active offensive linemen.

“My doctor that did the reconstruction surgery, he's the one that really clears me. And when I talked to him, he was like ‘Avery, I think you can start pushing the limits on this.’ So I started pushing the limits,” Henry told Eleven Warriors. “He's one of the guys that told me I'd never be able to do these things again, and I benched 315 again when he told me I'd probably never be able to hold a bar in my hand again. So it's amazing when you put your mind to things.”

Henry’s cancer has been in remission since May, and he says he’s feeling great now. Henry’s hair has started to grow back after he underwent 10 months of chemotherapy, and he says he runs two miles a day while also eating smart as he looks to stay as healthy as possible.


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Avery Henry, Ohio State Inspired Each Other in Buckeyes’ Run to National Championship​

By Dan Hope on February 20, 2025 at 10:10 am @dan_hope
Avery Henry

Avery Henry during his Ohio State career
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While Avery Henry’s football career ended when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in December 2022, his time as a member of the Ohio State football program did not.
The former Ohio State offensive tackle, whose cancer has been in remission since May 2023, has continued to have an active presence with the Buckeyes for the past two years. That included traveling with the team throughout its College Football Playoff run as the Buckeyes went to the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl and finally the national championship game, where Ohio State defeated Notre Dame to win the first-ever 12-team CFP.
In an interview with Eleven Warriors at national championship game media day, Henry said it was “a surreal experience” to be with the Buckeyes for their CFP run and expressed gratitude to his Ohio State teammates for continuing to treat him as a brother.
“I couldn't be more grateful to be here,” Henry said. “It means a lot. I think it really shows the brotherhood and what kind of connections you have with these guys. It's a connection you'll have forever. And like I said, it's surreal that I'm here, I'm healthy, and these guys have helped me work on myself, work on my body physically, mentally, etc.”
Continuing to be a part of the team has helped Henry navigate his life after football. Watching the Buckeyes overcome the adversity they faced on the field to make a run to the national championship helped inspire Henry to overcome his own challenges off the field.
“It inspires me a lot,” Henry said. “I remember last year, just wishing I could be with the guys and seeing what they're doing and seeing what they're overcoming, it gave me motivation to get through my chemo treatments and cancer to one day be back here and have this opportunity to be in the national championship with these guys celebrating this.”

www.elevenwarriors.com

Avery Henry, Ohio State Inspired Each Other in Buckeyes’ Run to National Championship

Avery Henry was grateful to be a part of Ohio State’s championship run as the former Buckeye whose career ended due to cancer is now healthy and thriving in the classroom.
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