ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — On the surface, Matt Henningsen needs football the least. A former college walk-on, Henningsen received a graduate degree in electrical engineering at Wisconsin.
He aced courses in machine learning and signal processing.
On the Broncos' practice field, Henningsen competes like he needs football the most. The defensive lineman's relentless effort is impossible to miss as he grapples for a final roster spot with the roster paring to 53 on Tuesday after the final preseason game.
"I never really thought what I would do if I wasn't playing football. This has been my dream since I was a little kid. This is my goal," Henningsen told Denver7 after Tuesday's padded practice. "I know I should have options at some point (because of his academic resume), but that's down the road. I am not thinking about that at all. All I am focused on is making this team."
The Broncos selected Henningsen in the sixth round of the 2021 draft, intrigued by his production, intelligence and consistent effort. Henningsen earned third-team All-Big Ten honors with 34 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Henningsen recognizes how important this final stretch is for players on the bubble. He navigated similar path in college, earning a starting job and scholarship with the Badgers as a walk-on.
The anxiety for players this week — rosters must be shaved to 53 players by 2 p.m. Tuesday — is real. Four were cut on Tuesday: inside linebacker Joe Schobert, offensive lineman Casey Tucker (toe injury/waived), running back Stevie Scott and wide receiver Trey Quinn — and offensive lineman Tom Compton was placed on the reserve PUP list, sidelining him for the first four games, and likely longer as he recovers from back surgery.
"It's a tough time. You see your buddies, guys you see every day who are really good football players who aren't here the next day. It's definitely a tough time," Henningsen said. "We are all just trying to do what we can to prove we belong."
After missing much of the offseason OTAs with a strained calf, Henningsen has made a strong case to make the team this summer. He is listed as a third-string nose guard behind D.J. Jones and Mike Purcell, but has played tackle. Looking at the numbers crunch, it might come down to McTelvin Agim, Jonathan Harris, rookie Eyioma Uwazurike and Henningsen for two spots.
Henningsen produced a pressure against the Cowboys in the preseason opener, a quarterback hit on Cooper Rush that resulted in a P.J. Locke interception. Against the Bills, the defense was abysmal, but Henningsen held his ground some as others were getting driven off the ball. At 6-foot-3, 291 pounds, Henningsen is giving away some pounds at the point of contact, but has shown improvement in his 62 preseason snaps.
"He just has to take advantage of some of his opportunities,” said coach Nathaniel Hackett last week. “We have been giving him a hard time because he had some great opportunities in the (Cowboys) game to get a couple sacks. He’s doing everything right. He’s a really smart player, and he’s put himself in the right positions. Now he’s just going to have to be able to finish it to take it to that next level.”
Henningsen will receive another chance in Wednesday's padded practice and Saturday's home game against Minnesota. As the numbers shrink, the pressure increases.
"You just have to stay focused," Henningsen said. "And do your best."
