Just 48 hours after a shooting outside a South Los Angeles smoke shop on Halloween night, Big U son Daiyan Henley paid tribute to his murdered brother with a standout performance in the NFL.
Daiyan Henley took to the battlefield on Sunday (November 2) with a heavy heart and a mission.
The 25-year-old Los Angeles Chargers linebacker turned personal tragedy into a professional spotlight, recording seven tackles, a sack and a pass deflection in a 27-20 victory over the Tennessee Titans, just two days after his brother was shot to death.
Henry’s younger brother, Jabari “Baby Uiie” Henry, was shot and killed late Friday night at the corner of 69th Street and South Figueroa Street in South Los Angeles. Witnesses said he was approaching a car and someone inside fired shots.
After sacking Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward, Henry paused, looked to the sky, and gave a silent salute.
“I just wanted to talk to my brother again,” Henry told reporters after the game. “It’s an emotional moment for me to be able to play on a day like this and lose him so soon. Like I said, it’s been a long year for me, so I just have to pray up and hope that he hears it.”
@bleacherreport “I just wanted to talk to my brother one more time” 🙏 (via SportsCentralLA/X) #nfl #football #nflfootball ♬ Original Sound – bleacherreport
The guard described Jabari as more than just a sibling.
“It’s like my best friend,” he said. “I call him a protector. One thing, he’s the protector of our family.”
His brother’s murder is the latest blow in what Henry calls the most difficult year of his life. His father, Eugene “Big U” Henley, a member of the Rolling ’60s Neighborhood Crips who later became a hip-hop executive, was arrested earlier this year in a sweeping federal indictment.
He faces 43 charges, including murder, kidnapping, extortion and fraud. He denies all charges.
Daiyan Henley reflects on Big U support behind bars
Despite the heavy emotions, Henry said his father encouraged him to focus on the game.
“I was in a lot of pain, man, a lot of pain,” Henry said. “I just wanted to get out there and let it out, whatever I had to let it out.”
“As painful as all this is, I still have work to do,” he added. “For me, coming here, dealing with work first and then getting emotional, it all hit me hard.”
“Honestly, this is probably the worst year of my life.”
Henley also shared a very personal message on Instagram alongside a series of family photos.
“2025 has brought me more pain than joy and this year has been the biggest hit yet,” he wrote in the post. “My family stood up in the storm because that’s who we are and I went and made sure we were straight big brothers!!! I have nephews and didn’t even have to worry about it. Love you and Allah bless me for one more night with my big brother. I didn’t know you would be gone the next day… Forever Uiie. Thank you all for the love and condolences; they truly mean the world to me and my family. We are warriors.”
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Authorities continue to investigate a Halloween night shooting. No arrests had been announced as of Tuesday morning (November 4).
