George Pickens shares special moment with Chris Henry Jr.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens and Chris Henry Jr. came full circle at the Elite Week event in Texas on Thursday. As it turns out, Henry modeled his game after Pickens. Pickens feels honored because he modeled parts of his game after Henry’s father, the late Chris Henry Sr.

“For me personally, it feels good. Because it’s him being that specific person, because I always watched his dad at West Virginia. That was a long time ago, you really had to know football to know your dad,” Pickens said. “For him to model his game after me, I really respect that. I kind of model my game after his dad. It’s kind of crazy.”

Promising Chris Henry Jr. says he models his game after George Pickens.

George Pickens then reveals that parts of his game are modeled on his father, Chris Henry.

The circle closes. pic.twitter.com/ikAyGFedse

— Baku🐧 (@Mazursky8895) July 11, 2024

George Pickens was born in 2001, so he must have a really good memory to remember Henry’s career at West Virginia. Henry’s final season as a Mountaineer was 2004. Henry was the third player in Mountaineer history to average over 20 yards per catch during his career. Henry’s 1,878 career yards are the eighth-most in school history, while his 93 receptions are the 14th-most.

Henry played five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, recording 119 catches for 1,826 yards and 21 touchdowns. Fifteen of those touchdowns came in his first two years in Cincinnati.

Henry tragically passed away on December 16, 2009 as a result of injuries sustained when he fell out of the back of a moving truck driven by his fiancée, Loleini Tonga, during a domestic dispute.

Henry’s former teammate in West Virginia and Cincinnati, Adam “PacMan” Jones, adopted his two sons, Chris Jr. and DeMarcus.

Chris Henry Jr., who transferred to Southern California’s Mater Dei High School, is one of the top prospects in the class of 2026. According to ESPN, he is the No. 1 wide receiver and one of only nine five-star recruits in the 2026 cycle. He committed to Ohio State in July 2023.

“I think everyone in their life wants to see Chris Henry Jr. play on Sundays,” Mater Dei wide receivers coach James Griffin told ESPN’s Eli Lederman. “The kid has everything – he’s just like his dad. He works hard every day to be so great.”

RELATED: Steelers wide receiver coach believes George Pickens is close to a breakthrough