Big shoes to fill
Griffins’ Henning follows in footsteps of Eisenhower legend Richardson
A.J. Henning and grandfather Quinn Richardson share more than humility— one is a legend in themaking at Lincoln-Way East, the other a living legend at Eisenhower.
A.J. Henning had a pretty good indication his grandfather was a skilled high school and college basketball player.
Whenever Henning, a receiver at Lincoln-Way East, would visit his grandfather’s home, hewould check out the old newspaper clippings and photos on thewall in the basement.
What Henning didn’t come to realize until recently was just how accomplished his grandfather was back in the day.
“He doesn’t talk about it much,” Henning said. “The only things I really knowabout his playing days are from what I’ve read in his basement. He’s pretty humble.”
Henning’s grandfather is Quinn Richardson, the Eisenhower legend who went on to play for Lou Henson at Illinois.
Those who know Richardson certainly aren’t surprised by his humility. A 5-foot-10, 180-pound guard, he generally let his basketball skills do the talking.
In that regard, Richardson and Henning have much in common.
Henning is as humble as he is talented. He’s one of the most sought-after high school football prospects in the country. He can play receiver or running back. He has blazing speed. A 5-10, 180-pound junior, Henning has 26 Division I scholarship offers and counting.
Richardson, too, was highly recruited before settling on Illinois, where his daughter is a senior. He has a son who is a freshman at Parkland.
His eldest daughter, Sharika Jefferson, is Henning’s mother.
The three of us— Richardson, Henning andmyself— recently sat down at a local restaurant.
Richardson was a hero to some ofmy childhood friends and me. Nearly every Friday in junior high, we would go watch Eisenhower— mostly because of Richardson, a 1979 graduate.
He couldn’t dunk. He wasn’t exceedingly flashy going to the basket.
But he could shoot the basketball from distances and proficiency few others could. Hewas the Mighty Quinn.
And the future Eisenhower students who played pickup basketball games wherever we could in Blue Island— wewere in awe of him.
Itwas must-see Friday nights. Richardson averaged 22.6 points his senior season and finished with 1,199 points in his career, which at the time was the most in school history. And those point totals were before the advent of the 3-point line.
“I probably would have averaged 30 or 35 (with a 3-point rule),” Richardson said with a slight grin.
Hewas all-state his senior season before heading to Illinois, where hewas captain of the 1984-85 team.
Henning listened intently and smiled broadly, hearing about many of his granddad’s exploits for the first time.
“Iwatched one of his games when hewas at Illinois on YouTube,” Henning said. “He could play. He just doesn’t talk much about it.”
When I asked Richardson why that is, he somehow steers clear of the subject— as he would to an opponent’s doubleteam.
“This is his time,” said Richardson, a banking executive. “A.J. is an incredible athlete. He has a tremendous work ethic and a passion to be as good as he can be. He’s a great role model in school and in the community. He cares about others. I’m just as proud of what A.J. is off the field as what he is on the field.”
Aswell he should be. With all of the attention and accolades, Henning could almost be forgiven if his ego had inflated.
But it hasn’t – and there’s a good reason for it.
“It’s theway Iwas raised,” Henning said. “(Richardson) tells me to stay humble. My parents taught me to not be selfish, to carry myself a certain way and to offer people help who need it. When youwere talking about looking up tomy grandfather when youwere in seventh grade, that’s what I want to be to kids.”
Grandfather and grandson share another commonality: Henning runs track, just like Richardson did in high school.
What about basketball, you ask?
Henning played up until high school.
“I had game,” Henning said with a big smile.
I tell them they should one day play a game of H-O-R-S-E.
“I’d be up for that,” Henning said.
“I can still do that,” Richardson said. “It wouldn’t take me long to get into rhythm.”
Watch out, A.J.