Diane Henry grew up with a famous father
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Diane Henry grew up with a famous father. The spotlight is on him after being selected in the third round of the NFL Draft by his hometown Los Angeles Chargers.
Henry, who played linebacker at Washington State University, was the 85th pick on Friday night.
Record executive Eugene “Big U” Henley has worked with many notable West Coast rappers, including Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and the late Nipsey Hussle. Elder Henry also helped produce and starred in his 2021 FX documentary his series Hip Hop Uncovered.
“I might be one of the most famous people he knows right now. Just being on the other side of that side is crazy,” Diane Henry said at Team Complex on Saturday.
Eugene now runs a non-profit organization called Development Options that works to help at-risk youth in Los Angeles.Dayan’s mother, Stacey, also works for the foundation.
Henry said he credits his parents for his success.
Henry said he already knew most of the stories told when it came to the documentary series his father was in, but there were still some stories that were new to him.
In addition to his music connections, Big U was a former gang leader. He was arrested for drug addiction and out of a 23-year sentence he served 12 years.
“This guy has done a lot in the past and is mad at me for having a ‘C’ in class. That’s the type of dad I had,” Henry said. “When I watch that documentary, I’m already in college and I’m like, ‘Hey dude.’ You can’t do that.
Henry began his career at the University of Nevada in 2017, playing the first two seasons as a receiver. He moved to safety in 2019 but suffered a season-ending injury that saw him play only four games before being redshirted, where he spent two years in the secondary before moving to linebacker in 2021. Converted and led the team with 103 his tackles.
Henry moved to Washington State last season and was named to the All-Pack 12 First Team. He tied for second in the conference with 106 tackles, and tied for fifth with 12 stop losses.
He has also played in all four coverage and return units for the Cougars’ special teams and is expected to contribute in those areas for the Chargers soon.
Henry and his parents were happy he was drafted to a local team, but joked that being close had its drawbacks.
“As exciting as it is, I have to figure out how to keep my mother away from my address, so if you have any ideas on how to hide the address from her, I’d love to hear about those. I need a hint,” he said. Laughter.
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