Early Saturday morning brought the kind of news no one should ever have to hear. Denzel Perryman knocked on Daiyan Henley’s hotel door with urgency in his step. The message was simple but devastating: call home, and call now. On the other end of that line, Henley’s mother had to tell her son something no parent should ever say.
His brother Jabari had been shot and killed outside a smoke shop in South Los Angeles on Halloween night. Jabari was 34 years old. He was making waves in L.A.’s hip-hop scene, carving out his own path as an up-and-coming rapper. Police reports confirm there’s still no identified motive or suspect. The case remains open, and the pain remains raw.
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Most people would’ve stepped away after news like that. Henley didn’t. Less than 48 hours after losing his brother, the Chargers linebacker suited up against the Titans at Nissan Stadium.
He played like a star, racking up nine tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection in a grinding 27-20 Chargers victory. After bringing down Cam Ward, Henley dropped to his knees and bowed his head in prayer.
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“I just wanted to talk to my brother one more time,” Henley said afterward. “It was just an emotional moment for me just to be able to make a play on a day like this, just losing him so soon. Like I said, it’s been a long year for me, so I had to just send a prayer up and just hopefully heard it.”
Long year doesn’t even begin to cover it. Before the Week 2 matchup with the Raiders, Daiyan Henley contracted an infection that dropped 10 pounds off his frame and forced him to use an oxygen tank during the game.
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The illness stuck around for weeks, slowing him down just as his third season was getting underway.
He’s already totaled 59 tackles and three sacks this fall, showing flashes of the player he’s capable of being when healthy.
Through it all, the Chargers organization has wrapped itself around him. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has been a steady presence, Henley revealed, offering support when words fall short.
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