After a year at Whitman College in Washington state, Jack Henwood enrolled at UBC for the 1955/56 session making an immediate impact as the leading offensive weapon for the UBC Jayvees football team, as he was ineligible for this season's varsity team. It was Henwood from his halfback spot who led the Jayvees in scoring and to an undefeated season.
Henwood's athletic ability was demonstrated when following the football season he turned out for and made Jack Pomfret's Thunderbird basketball team despite being less than 5'10". Football however, was Henwood's number one sport and in '56 he joined the ‘Birds under coach Frank Gnup, promptly leading the team in rushing, total offence and scoring. He was described by the Ubyssey this year as UBC's “most vicious runner" while at the same time playing outstanding defense, leading the team in interceptions. He averaged six yards per carry and was the only ‘Bird to make the 1956 Evergreen Conference All-Star team.
In 1957, UBC, despite players such as Henwood, Don Vassos, Bill Crawford and Roy Jokanovich, was off to a dismal start in the Evergreen Conference. The tide started to turn when Henwood scored all 13 points and “made some outstanding defensive plays" in a 46-13 loss to Central Washington. In a 40-2 victory over the Seattle Cavaliers, Henwood scored two touchdowns, passed for another and kicked four converts. Not only had he scored 29 points to lead the ‘Birds in scoring at this point, but he was playing halfback, quarterback, defensive halfback and taking care of punting and place-kicking duties. Henwood and Vassos were the bright lights for UBC this year with Henwood far and away the team's leading scorer with 35 points.
The ‘Birds were improved in '58 thanks to the backfield of quarterback Henwood and future pros Wayne Aiken and Don Vassos. Playing both ways, Henwood was the “drive and spirit" and “sparkplug" as captain of the ‘Birds. His season saw him complete 55;5% of his passes, second in the Evergreen Conference, and lead UBC to total offence, finishing third in the league. As one fan quipped following UBC's 1958 loss to McGill, “If they had two more Henwoods UBC would be terrific."
1958 saw Henwood play his third varsity sport lining up with Max Howell's outstanding rugby squad teaming with the likes of Gerry McGavin, Gary Sinclair and Ted Hunt. 1959, Henwood's final year at UBC, started with a bang, “...sawed-off football halfback named Henwood set back U.S. – Canadian relations by personally running the Seattle Cavaliers into the ground," as Henwood scored both touchdowns and rushed for 192 yards in UBC's opening 16-0 victory over the semi-pro Cavaliers. This was the beginning of an outstanding season for the ‘Birds, now in the Western Canada Conference. In a 36-13 win over Alberta, Henwood tied a school record when he scored four touchdowns in one game – and he played only the first half! By the first three games Henwood had scored six touchdowns and passed for two more.
The ‘Birds under Gnup were now 5-0 in '59 by virtue of a 23-18 victory over Pacific Lutheran with QB Jon Morris and running back Jack Henwood leading the way. UBC next defeated Saskatchewan 39-7 with Henwood playing quarterback, going 10 for 10 in passing, setting a UBC record for single game passing percentage. The Athletic department stated, “In nearly every game UBC's individual star was the shorty-forty Jack Henwood. This powerful but elusive runner has done a superlative job of rushing and scoring this year." Now with a record of 6-2 overall, UBC had a date with the champions of the east in the Churchill Bowl, Canada's first inter-university football championship.
“Canadian Final Tomorrow" announced the Ubyssey as for the first time a Canadian football championship would be decided and UBC would be part of this historic 1959 event. The ‘Birds would travel to Toronto to meet Western Ontario who had just walloped Queens 55-13. Coach Gnup had Henwood to lead the running attack as well as to fill in for QB Morris when required.
“Western Outclasses West", as Western Ontario Mustangs rolled to a 34-7 victory over UBC and claim the Canadian title. Henwood was the “workhorse" carrying 18 times for 72 yards. The Toronto Daily Star's Jim Proudfoot reported, “Jack Henwood was UBC's only consistent player. He had no trouble making long gains through Western's defense." A complimentary assessment although a disappointing performance by UBC. Henwood, who has supported UBC athletics since his graduation, highlighted his three sport varsity career by being awarded the 1960 Bobby Gaul Award for his athletic ability, leadership and tenacity and for being instrumental in putting football back on track at UBC.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
