It’s true that rookie Hunter Henry is fitting in with the Chargers, and it’s a truth that’s verifiable without seeing Henry catch one pass from Philip Rivers, or block a defender from his tight end spot or with a special teams unit.

When NFL veterans hang a rookie with a nickname, that’s a sign of belonging, and Bolts offensive linemen have hung the 21-year-old with not one but two of them.

“Pretty Boy” and “Pretty Mouth” may not rival “Bambi” for the catchiest sobriquets in the Bolts’ 56-year history, but the big lugs don’t tease you unless they respect you.

Henry, who does flash a Hollywood smile, and probably could pass as a soap-opera actor, has rolled with the ribbing.


He said he enjoys “bonding” with the offensive linemen, figuring that the rapport will translate to on-field communications.

Also, he said he welcomes the other rookie rites of passage that include carrying the shoulder pads of Antonio Gates after practice and keeping teammates’ cooler stocked with beverages.

When the Chargers finished practice Wednesday in broiling heat, a few members of the visiting Arizona Cardinals joked that it would be a fine time to visit the beach, so hot were the conditions.

× Acee-Gehlken: Chargers vs Cardinals


Henry stood in the hot sunlight afterward for several minutes, and carried out a series of media interviews with the aplomb of someone who’s comfortable in his own skin.

Confirming that his father, Mark, is a pastor in Arkansas, Hunter said he’s in the process of selecting a church to attend in San Diego.

San Diego activities he enjoys include visits to the beach and Padres games, and going out for sushi with teammates.

Football being a violent career, the thought arises that a polite, affable, preacher’s son may be miscast in the NFL.


Actually, the sport is in his genes. His father played on the offensive line for the home-state Razorbacks from 1988-91.

Mark Henry, who won’t be visiting San Diego to see his son on game days because he, too, works on Sundays, understood that while the meek may inherit the earth, the football field is a world apart.

“My dad ingrained in me that this is a tough, physical sport – you don’t take crap off anybody, basically,” Hunter said. “It’s not that when someone does something to you, that you have to fight them, and all of that stuff.

“Basically, what I’ve put into action is, just showing ‘em on the field, just shutting ‘em up, kind of, on the field, with your play.


“When you step in between those white lines, you’re one of the most confident dudes, and no one can stop you,” he said. “And then when you step off, you try to be the nicest guy and the best human being you can.”

The Chargers are treating the sure-handed Henry like he’s a real tight end, not just a tall receiver who lines up detached from the big blockers.

Playcaller Ken Whisenhunt did the grunt work when he was an NFL tight end. In Henry’s preseason debut Saturday in Tennessee, Whisenhunt put the onus on him to make key blocks.

With his parents and several other relatives on hand after making the four-hour drive from Little Rock to Nashville, Henry fronted explosive edge rusher Derrick Morgan to spring Danny Woodhead for a successful third down run. Though it wasn’t always pretty, the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder succeeded on other blocks as well.


“They asked me to do that last year, in my last year of college,” he said. “I was very comfortable in that situation (Saturday), knowing that it was a key block for me. I just tried to work on fundamentals.

“You have to really focus on pad level, and hands, and feet. You’re not going to be able to, in this league, blow dudes off the ball. It’s really about hands, working your feet, and trying to open up holes for Danny and give him a two-way go.”

Though he said it’s still sinking that he’s an NFL player and that the great Gates is his mentor, Henry acknowledged that he can miss aspects of his family life, such as chicken parmesan entrees and soups his mother, Jenny, has mastered.

He has aspirations of leading NFL rookie tight ends in receptions, while also providing a two-dimensional skill set that makes an offense more versatile.


Come Sept. 11, he’ll be back in the central time zone, looking to assist against the Kansas City Chiefs.