E.J. Henderson: A Viking and a lion

E.J. Henderson located his target but bodies tumbled around his feet, forcing him to improvise.

Like a daredevil shot from a cannon, Henderson launched himself across the line, arms extended, into the chest of Carolina's DeAngelo Williams, knocking him for a 5-yard loss.

"That's not something you practice," Henderson said. "Nothing you really think about. It looked good, turned out right."

Told he looked like a pouncing lion on his flying tackle in a 20-10 victory last Sunday, Henderson's tough-guy countenance melted into a smile.

"I'm a Leo so I like that," he said. "I take pride in being a lion."

Fierce on the field but extremely quiet off it, Henderson takes pride in his attacking style and said he believes he is becoming one of the NFL's premier middle linebackers.

He leads the team in tackles (31) through three games while also collecting a sack, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

Vikings officials say Henderson, their leading tackler three of the past four seasons, deserved a Pro Bowl invitation last season. Chosen an alternate, Henderson admits he was disappointed, and he's determined to build a stronger case this season.

Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, a cornerback on the 1985 Super Bowl champion Bears, says Henderson's plays remind him of Hall of Famer Mike Singletary.

"He does things that just get everybody else pumped up by the way he plays," Frazier said. "He's maybe not as verbal as Mike was, but the play-making ability and his leadership by example is just tremendous. I don't get a chance to watch all of the linebackers in the National Football League, but it's hard for me to imagine anybody can be playing better than E.J. has played over the last year and a half."

Henderson, 28, said he is driven by his desire to be the best. He doesn't want to be an "alternate" at anything.

"If you're not trying to be the best," he said, "then why are you doing it?"

Professional balance

Henderson says he never has played at a higher level. He captains a defense that has four Pro Bowl players and is expected to rank among the NFL's best.

For the first time Henderson gets to play on the same team with his brother, Erin, a rookie linebacker who is six years younger. E.J. also is encouraged by the impact he's making off the field with his non-profit youth foundation that works in conjunction with the Game Speed Football Academy.

Standing in the Eden Prairie facility, Henderson discussed his vision for his youth foundation, which offers kids a six-month program that includes life skills training and access to a computer lab with the help of a $50,000 donation from teammate Darren Sharper.

"We're just trying to make a positive impact on these kids' lives," he said.

Henderson has made a huge impact on the Vikings defense, but the path to this point wasn't without speed bumps.

Henderson admits he had "some rocky years, especially the first few years" as he learned the pro game. Though he made a ton of tackles, he looked lost at times and was moved to weak-side linebacker in 2005 and '06 before returning to the middle last season.

He flourished since returning to the position he's played since he was 9 years old.

"The last two years I'm just getting settled down," he said.

He's even become more vocal. Well, slightly more vocal. For a guy whose play is thunderous on the field, he makes a mime seem like a chatterbox.

"If you tell him a couple of jokes, he'll laugh and show his personality," Sharper said. "But on the whole, 95 percent of the time, he's a quiet guy who doesn't show too much emotion."

Said defensive end Jared Allen: "Guys who don't say much, when they talk you listen."

"E.J. is a quiet guy, but he does talk," Ben Leber said. "He's not as quiet and reclusive as you guys think he is."

Asked if Henderson goofs around, Vikings coach Brad Childress said: "It's rare. He's got a very dry sense of humor. You can get him to crack once in a while. Once."

Erin knows his brother's personality better than anyone in the locker room. They share the same position and have similar facial features, but their personalities are opposites. Erin is an extrovert.

"He has a select group that he talks to and jokes around with," said Erin, who has encouraged his brother to do more interviews or promotions to raise his profile. "Even with us in his [linebacker] group, he still has his times when he wants to be left alone and wants to be quiet. Over time you kind of figure him out."

E.J.'s quiet intensity can be intimidating but, in the right forum, he is thoughtful and insightful. Self-promotion, however, is not in the works.

"That's not him," Erin said.

E.J. said he's opened up, even more so now that Erin is on the team. But football is serious business to him.

"Anybody going to work should be serious about the job they're doing," E.J. said. "But I think I've been doing a good job the past couple years relating to my teammates and trying to be a little more open with them. Speak with them, laugh with them, joke with them. Let them know that I'm one of them."

On display

Henderson still prefers to let his actions speak for themselves. The 6-1, 245-pounder is a physically imposing linebacker who devours ball carriers. His credo?

"Punish or get punished."

We've seen him punish. But when's the last time he's been on the other end?

"A running back?" he asked. "I can't remember a back that really cleaned my clock and I was just like, 'Man, good shot.' Now, there's a lot of linemen that might get a good shot on you. But just straight running back? Marion Barber is a beast and is hard to tackle. But I don't remember getting put on my back in a long time."

Neither can his teammates.

"He's going to try and kill every running back he hits," Sharper said.

Besides his knack for explosive hits, teammates offered varying opinions on Henderson's greatest strength. Allen picked leadership. Leber pointed to Henderson's ability to fly to the action.

"He has a God-given talent to get to the football," Leber said. "It's not anything you can coach. It's just something he has, and it's a talent. I think he feels the game higher than the rest of us."

Henderson is far from satisfied. He worked this offseason on his footwork in coverage, hoping that would lead to more chances at interceptions. He also has embraced his role as captain by encouraging teammates and demanding more from them, Frazier said.

Allen said Henderson has the ultimate respect in the huddle and locker room. Henderson said that means more to him than anything. Mention the Pro Bowl and he will shift the focus to his desire to win the NFC title and make a deep playoff run. That is more important, he said, than a "free trip to Hawaii."

That's not to suggest he doesn't want to be recognized as the best middle linebacker in football.

"You always want to come out and show that you're the best at this position, the best at what you do," he said. "If you make clothes, you want to have the best clothes. If you make sneakers, you want to have the best sneakers. You play football, you want to be the best football player. That's what winners do."