Season recap: Jeremiah Hendy
On Sept. 25 at Bowie High, Jeremiah Hendy caught a five-yard touchdown pass in the Bulldogs' 44-6 rout of Oxon Hill.
The same day, less than 25 miles away, 29-year-old Darrel Hendy was shot and killed outside a Southeast Washington apartment building.
“It was one of his older brothers,” said Bowie coach Lionel Macklin. “I heard it through the grapevine and a little bit through one of the other players. Immediately I talked to him. He told me that’s what happened. I just told him [to let me know] if there was anything I could do, and explained that there are certain things you have control over, and certain things you don’t. I just wanted to make sure I was there for him.”
Macklin told Hendy he could take as much time off from the team as he needed, but the Maryland-bound defensive back missed just a "couple days of practice" before returning to the field.
“He felt at the time that being with the guys would be better for him,” Macklin said. “But I expected it to be a rough few weeks for him.”
Hendy suited up for the Bulldogs the following Saturday and caught five passes for 31 yards in Bowie’s 21-7 loss to Suitland. It took some time for Hendy to return to form on the field, but Macklin said he couldn’t have been more proud of how his star player handled such a tragic situation.
Hendy finished the season with 30 tackles and five interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns. At wide receiver, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior caught 33 passes for 592 yards and seven touchdowns. Hendy also returned three punts for scores. Macklin expected that kind of season from his versatile captain.
“I wasn’t surprised [by his success],” Macklin said. “When he was a junior, you could see the upside. When he was a senior, I knew he was going to make big plays. We threw him a hitch pass that he took 80 yards at Flowers, and that was when you knew he was a big-time player. He just took it down the sideline. And I thought that was a next-level play.”
While Hendy proved to be a playmaker on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs faced their fair share of struggles – including injuries – throughout their 4-6 season. Missing the playoffs was tough for Hendy to take, but Macklin made it clear that he did everything that was expected of him and more.
“Everything got pushed on him a lot,” Macklin said. “All you can do is your part, but you need 22 people to actually help you win. He took it hard at first, but later he felt a little better. He was carrying everything on his shoulder. I told him he can’t feel that way. … He barely came off the field. When you’ve got a ballplayer like that, sometimes he shows you so much. If you’re not a coach, you go in thinking that he can do it every game. But realistically, he’s not going to be able to get you two touchdowns and two interceptions every game.”
Macklin said Hendy – who remains committed to Maryland but may still take other college visits – has impressive speed and jumping ability that make him a natural fit for either cornerback or safety at the next level. Macklin likes the idea of Hendy “roaming around” at the free safety spot, but can also envision him developing into a shutdown corner. Where Hendy ends up in the Maryland secondary should be determined shortly after he arrives on campus this summer.
“They’re hoping he can make an impact right away,” Macklin said. “They know he’s got a lot of upside once he gets in the program. Since it’s the next level, he’ll probably get a lot stronger and learn a lot more things. But they said he’s got the talent where he can make an impact right away. A freshman is a freshman, so you know how that goes. But I’m pretty sure he’ll get some playing time.”
