RESERVE – To most of the East St. John baseball players, Wendell Henderson is just “Coach,” the guy who makes them work and sweat and who yells at them when they miss the cutoff man. To them, he’s just that retired plant worker who volunteers his time to coach the baseball team.

Most of them don’t even realize that, every day, they are in the presence of a legend.

Henderson, who has had the nickname of “Brick” since he was a toddler, was inducted into the Grambling State University Legends Hall of Fame on July 13, joining more than 130 other athletes and contributors in the Eddie Robinson Museum.

He has been on the ballot for the past few years but finally got the needed votes to be enshrined.

“It’s a blessing because, when you look at the wall, you see Doug Williams, Sammy White, Willis Reed,” Henderson said. “I was in the Green Room with the legends of the legends. I’m, like, wow. I’m in this place now. My name is going to be mentioned with all these people. That’s epic to me.”

It is a much-deserved honor.

Henderson, who grew up in Mt. Airy, was a standout catcher and center fielder at Leon Godchaux High School, the forerunner to East St. John High, where he batted .500 and was named All-District, All-Metro and All-State.  He was selected in the 28^th round of the 1977 Major League draft by the Chicago Cubs, but opted to attend Grambling State.

He did pretty well there, too.

He started as a freshman and led the team in hitting with a .452 batting average. He was named the team’s Freshman of the Year and the Southwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. He also got himself a bat contract, a shoe contract and a glove contract.

Over the remainder of his collegiate career, he set records for most hits, most runs batted in and most total bases in a career. Among his proudest moments were the two times he hit for the cycle (he also did it once in high school).

“That’s hard to do,” he said.

He was again drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1981, this time in the 24^th round, and spent five years in the Cubs’ minor league system.

He then focused on family and career. He returned to his high school alma mater several years ago to “help out,” but became the head coach in 2019.

“They asked me to coach the team until they find somebody else,” Henderson said. “But I haven’t seen them looking for anybody else.”

He is the 10^th man to coach the team since 2000 and the 16^th since the team last won a state title in 1992. In May, his team earned its first playoff spot since 2008 and finished 18-13.

Henderson is most proud, however, of the fact that he has sent five young men to college to play baseball – one to Grambling, one to Southern and three to Rust College.

He certainly doesn’t do it for fame and fortune, though. Henderson receives no payment for his coaching.

“I love the game; I love what I do,” he said. “This is my sanctuary. This is where I’m most comfortable. It keeps me in the game of baseball instead of just watching somebody else do it.”

On Tuesday evening, Henderson received another honor when he was recognized by the St. John the Baptist Parish Council, Parish President Natalie Robottom and Sheriff Mike Tregre – even though Tregre and several council members went to Grambling’s arch-rival Southern.

“We need more guys like this,” Tregre said, a sentiment echoed by nearly every council member – even his rival Southern graduates.

Tregre, himself a Southern fan, even made Henderson Sheriff for a Day.

“I told my kids they had to be home by 9 o’clock,” Henderson joked.

Maybe now Henderson’s players – and maybe even his own sons and daughter – will realize just who he is.

“I don’t throw it out there and boast on it about when I played and what I did,” he said. “I want them to have their own identity. My own finally figured it out when they saw my name up there on that wall. They finally understand.”