Hesson, in his first-ever start at Yager Stadium and only the second of his career, led Miami to its initial victory of the season, a 38-0 trouncing of visiting Lindenwood University in the RedHawks homecoming game.
Playing just three quarters against the overmatched FCS school from St. Charles, Mo., Hesson threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns, both to speedster Kam Perry, and in the process he showed himself to be the very real embodiment of Miami University’s revered motto: Love and Honor.
“I came in here as an 18-year-old freshman and fell in love with the place,” Hesson explained after the game. “I fell in love with the coaching staff. I fell in love with the people in the program. I fell in love with the school.
“I stayed here because I loved it. I didn’t want to go anywhere else. My heart was here.”
Even so, the rose-colored glasses of romance couldn’t obscure the black and white reality of the depth chart.
Hesson said when he joined the program there were eight quarterbacks on the roster.
More would enter the program after that and Hesson – who had been a three-year standout at Avon High School just west of Indianapolis – got little playing time his first four seasons at Miami.
He was behind Brett Gabbert, who played parts of six seasons at Miami, was the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, three times won All-MAC honors and became a battle-scarred legend in Oxford.
Hesson also played behind wonderkid Aveon Smith, who twice took over for the injured Gabbert, led Miami to a MAC title in 2023 and then jumped in the portal which took him to Alabama A&M and now has him at Merrimack.
Coming into this season, with Gabbert finally graduated, Hesson and Thomas Gotkowski were the returning quarterbacks vying for the starting job when Dequan Finn, an out-of-the-blue transfer portal addition suddenly joined the team.
Finn – who had been the MAC Player of the Year at Toledo, where he set all kinds of conference records and then played at Baylor last season – would be entering his seventh season of college football.
In this era of NIL money and easy transfer portal exits, the grass and largesse truly are greener for many college players elsewhere.
In the process though, loyalty, allegiance and commitment often become as antiquated as leather helmets and the single wing.
Miami coach Chuck Martin – knowing Hesson had long paid his dues and by spring would have his undergrad degree in finance – said he offered to help Hesson find a place where he could get more playing time in his final collegiate season:
“I said, ‘Dude, if you want to move on – even though I’d love for you to stay – I’d do anything I can to help you. I’ll make the calls and help you find the best fit.’
“And he said, ‘Yeah Coach, but my heart is here. I love it here. This is where I want to be.’
“That was awesome, but it’s not something you’re going to hear very much these days. It’s rare.
“This is a day and age when everybody leaves. It doesn’t make those other kids bad, but it says a lot about Henry Hesson and who he is as a human being. He’s a great example for a lot of young guys.”
Hesson’s dad Brett – who with his wife Ashley and many family members and friends, have come to every home game and were there in force Saturday – said one thing especially sets Henry apart:
“Loyalty…He’s a loyal kid.
“He’s also a pretty private kid. He’s not a self-promoter and that’s another thing that’s really unique in the culture now. Self-promoters have an edge in today’s world.
“It’s (the case of) the squeaky wheel. Those kids get the NIL deals and those NILs get playing time.”
Hesson has no NIL deal, but he does have that love and honor commitment to Miami football.
And a part of his commitment, Martin said, is his preparation: “I know he’s always going to be ready.”
And when Finn got his legs cut out from under him on a scrambling, jump pass last week against UNLV, he hit the ground hard with his head and lay on the field unconscious as his throw was picked off and ran back right past his flattened body for a touchdown.
Hesson took over for Finn and nearly engineered a victory – the winning drive ended on a running back fumble – in a wild 41-38 loss to the Rebels at Yager Stadium.
That dropped the RedHawks to 0-3 on the season and they needed a quick reset to ready themselves for MAC play which begins next Saturday.
That’s when Hesson found out love really could be a two-way street.
Little fanfare
At Avon High, he was also a baseball player with real promise – he played third base – and that could have been his ticket to college athletics, his dad said.
But by playing baseball, he didn’t take part in showcase football camps early in his prep career. He planned to do some his junior season, but COVID wiped all that out.
The following 2020 season, his senior year, he had a stellar effort— 2,572 yards and 31 touchdowns – but his big-stage moment in the sectional playoffs was wiped out when someone with COVID came in contact with him and he was forced to quarantine and miss the game, which his team then lost.
He had a handful of football offers – including three MAC schools – and chose Miami, where he was redshirted his first season,
The following year, 2022, he got in just two games and completed two of five passes for 37 yards.
With such little fanfare he was thrust into the starting role at the 2023 Cure Bowl in Orlando after the RedHawks had won the MAC.
Gabbert had been lost for the season after a horrific leg injury against Toledo in late October. Smith had filled in magnificently, but then just before the Cure Bowl decided not to play and instead entered the portal.
Hesson was ready for his moment in the Florida sunshine when, 90 minutes before kickoff, a monsoon lay siege to the field. In the first half alone, over an inch and a half of rain fell and turned the game into a waterpark adventure.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“Henry said when they came back out after warm-ups, those were the heaviest footballs he’d ever felt,” his dad said. “The(water-logged) balls were heavy and slick.
“I think there were a total of 14 turnovers in the game.”
“It wasn’t like a real football game,” Henry said with a laugh. “I try not to think of that game.”
The RedHawks lost to Appalachian State, 13-9. Hesson completed five of eight passes that day for 16 yards.
That’s what made Saturday’s start even more memorable for him.
“Today was awesome,” he said. “With dry conditions, you were able to throw the ball around a little bit.”
He ended up completing 13 of 21 passes to seven different receivers. His prime target was Perry, who caught a 31-yard pass for a score in the second quarter and a 66-yard TD toss to end the third quarter.
Everything he has
When Finn finally returns to action, Hesson likely will return to the sideline though he hopes he will have made a strong enough case for more playing time down the stretch.
Whatever happens, he said he’s glad he remained at Miami:
“I wanted to stay here and get my master’s degree (in entrepreneurship and American technology.) A graduate degree from Miami is good.”
He said most of all, “This place just feels like home. We’ve built a real chemistry here.
“My best friend is Brian Shane (the tight end from Alter High). We’ve been together five years and him staying here was a big part of me staying.
“Things like that are important.”
Martin appreciates Hesson’s embrace of all things Miami:
“Hank’s like a coach. Hank’s like a player. Hank is like everything…He wants to give everything he has.
“He truly does love this place…And we love Hank.”
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