Stevie Henson, a former St Luke’s pupil, was an Exeter City trainee between 1998 and 2000. Not offered a professional contract at the age of eighteen, he undertook a scholarship at Oregon State University and - after a successful first season with the university’s soccer squad - fell ill and was diagnosed with liver cancer. He died aged twenty in 2002. 

He signed as an associated schoolboy at the age of fourteen in July 1996 and progressed through the under-15 and under-16 sides to commence a two-year youth contract in July 1998. A versatile player, he appeared in a number of positions for the youth team and the reserves but suffered injury towards the end of his time with the club and was not offered a professional deal on competition of his training in 2000. 

In common with a significant number of trainees over the years, Stevie was successful in winning a scholarship to a university in North America and, in the autumn of 2000, took up a place at Oregon State University. Enjoying a successful first season with the university’s soccer squad, he had just started a second campaign when he started to suffer increasingly high levels of severe fatigue. Returning home to Exeter, Stevie was diagnosed with liver cancer at the age of nineteen. With fellow students in Oregon raising money to care for his welfare, his condition worsened and he was admitted to hospital in late August 2002. 

Steven Henson died shortly afterwards at the age of twenty, just over six years since he had first signed for Exeter City at the end of year 9 at St Luke's. Mike Radford, City’s head of youth, wrote after Stevie’s death:

"Everybody that knew Stevie will remember him for his outstanding allround sporting ability. But his first love was football, and he obtained a high level of skill through hundreds of hours of diligent practice, both on his own, with the club and with his Dad. His commitment and passion for the game was quite outstanding. Ever a perfect gentleman, Stevie leaves us with a legacy, that we must all strive to follow in his name"