Garney Henley attended Huron College in South Dakota, playing as a running back from 1956 to 1959 on the varsity team.
Henley was drafted in 1960 by the NFL's Green Bay Packers in the 15th round (173rd overall), but was traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Ontario, Canada.
While still playing football in Hamilton, Henley was hired at the University of Guelph by athletic director, Bill Mitchell.
Henley served as the assistant athletic director, advisor to the football team and taught in the Physical Education program.
[1] Henley was voted the sixth greatest CFL player in a poll conducted by Canadian Sports network TSN in 2006.