Henry was born in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, in 1968 and attended John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in that city.
He redshirted during his first year at the school and was ineligible as a sophomore after his American College Test (ACT) score was invalidated.
As a senior, he started seven games, but then sustained a tear in the posterior cruciate ligament of his left knee.
[2][3] Henry was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round (108th overall pick) of the 1993 NFL draft.
[4] He played at the defensive end position for the Steelers from 1993 to 2000, appearing in 116 NFL games, 81 of them as a starter.