‘Forever grateful’ | ODU All-American LB Jason Henderson done with football

Two-time All-America linebacker Jason Henderson announced on social media on Sunday that he’s done with football.

“Almost two years now I have been trying to get to a point to where I can return to the football field and confidently give my all as I always do when I’m on that field. Through this process, I have tested my mental and physical strength to the max. I have done everything in my power to be as physically and mentally prepared to give it my all one last time. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get to the point to where I can maintain playing at a competitive level again. I have decided I am going to step away from being a football player. For the betterment of myself and future,” Henderson, a grad senior at ODU, wrote on Instagram.

Henderson was a second-team All-American in 2022 and a first-team All-American in 2023, after leading the nation in tackles in 2022 and finishing second nationally in 2023.

He suffered a serious knee injury in the 2023 season finale – tearing the ACL, MCL, MPFL and meniscus in his left knee.

Henderson surprised everybody by returning to action in training camp last summer, but he only played in one game in 2024 before shutting himself down.

He played 55 snaps in the Monarchs’ 27-14 season-opening loss at Indiana on Aug. 30, with five tackles.

Henderson sat out ODU’s 54-6 win over North Carolina Central on Saturday.

Now we know why.

“I’m forever grateful for what football has given me,” Henderson wrote in the Instagram post. “Football gave me a chance. Football taught me lessons. Football gave me a second family. Football will forever hold a huge part of me. I’m blessed and grateful for my career. I have given my all every single opportunity I got. I took advantage of each and every opportunity given to me. I was blessed enough to accomplish things that I couldn’t have ever dreamed of as a football player and I feel as if I have done all I could and given everything I possibly could to the sport of football. Football will forever be a part of me. I’m forever thankful.”