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Childs Able To Make It Family Affair
The Times-Picayune Feature Story
Dec. 19, 2001
By Lori Lyons NEW ORLEANS - With his purple, green and gold Mardi Gras beads around his neck and his proud parent photo button of Colorado State's No. 28 on his chest, he looked like any other football dad at Tuesday night's New Orleans Bowl. But Henry Childs was beaming a little brighter than those other guys as he watched Rams running back Henri Childs rush for 97 yards on 12 carries in Colorado State's 45-20 victory against North Texas. It was, after all, on the same playing field where the Henryspent seven seasons as a tight end with the New Orleans Saints. Tuesday night's inaugural New Orleans Bowl was an extraordinary experience for both men. "It was a dream come true for me," Henry said from the back row of the Plaza level of the Superdome where he was surrounded by friends and family -- all there to watch his son. "I never thought he would end up playing in New Orleans. You know, the other bowl that was mentioned was in Las Vegas. When we heard that they might have an opportunity to come to New Orleans, I crossed my fingers." Henri Childs was happy his family was there for him in his first bowl game. "I'm just cherishing this right now," he said as his teammates celebrated their win around him. "I'm really glad that my family got to come out here and see me play." Henri has a kindred spirit in Rams quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt. His father, Brad, was a Pro Bowl linebacker for the New York Giants. In fact, Henry Childs and Brad Van Pelt were players during the same era, and both played in the 1980 Pro Bowl. "We're really good friends," Bradlee Van Pelt said of Henri Childs. "We've both been though the same things with our fathers being players. And they played against each other." The two also have other things in common. Both started their college careers at other schools -- Van Pelt at Michigan State and Childs at Kansas. Both transferred because of lack of potential playing time at their initial college choices, and both reaped their rewards Tuesday night. "Yeah, we have a lot in common," said Bradlee Van Pelt, who completed five of 14 passes for 106 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for 43 yards and another score. Van Pelt's father wasn't able to make the trip to New Orleans this week. "If I'd have pushed it, he would have come," Van Pelt said. "But it wasn't that big a deal to me." Henry said he and his son didn't have much time to get together since arriving in New Orleans last weekend. Henry had some catching up to do with old friends and teammates, and his son had to focus on the game. "I said, 'Have a good time but remember you're going there for business," Henry said. But it didn't matter. There was only one place he would want to take his son anyway.
"I would only want to take him here," Henry said. "Because I don't think still in this country there is a better facility than the Superdome."
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