Scott Watkins
Staff Writer
During his senior season playing football for Troy, running back Jamarius Henderson was permanently suspended from the team for violating team rules.
After Henderson missed his seventh game of the season, the Dothan Eagle confirmed on Oct. 24 that he was off the team. It is unclear what rules he violated.
This is not the first time Henderson has been suspended. According to the university, he missed nine days of preseason camp for the 2017 season due to another team rules violation.
Henderson’s only action of the 2018 season came in the opening game against Boise State. He had 30 rushing yards on eight carries in the loss.
Henderson arrived in Troy after transferring from Memphis following a freshman campaign that featured over 300 rushing yards for the Dale County native.
He sat out 2016 due to NCAA transfer rules before receiving his first suspension during preseason camp ahead of the 2017 season. He ended up rushing for 355 yards on 7.9 yards per carry as the third option behind Jordan Chunn and Josh Anderson that season.
With both Chunn and Anderson graduating, Henderson figured to play a key role in the offense this year before he was given his second suspension of his career in early September.
Junior running back BJ Smith has stepped up as Troy’s primary tailback in 2018 and has given the offense a boost. He’s currently riding a four-game stretch of 100-yard rushing games. Passing the century mark against Louisiana-Lafayette would set the school record.
Smith’s play has helped markedly improve Troy’s run game from last season. The Trojans are averaging 64 more rushing yards per game through eight games this year than they had in 2017.
